This $8 Clay Mask Has Thousands Of 5-star Reviews Online—Here’s Why

Just as easily as the price of shipping can talk you out of making a purchase, a rave review can make you press that “add to cart” button. And considering the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask has more than 17,000 reviews online — and that 72 percent of those are five-star reviews — you may be more than convinced to give this product a try.

From claims that it does everything from clearing acne over time to diminishing the size of pores, people can’t stop singing the praises of this clay mask, which retails for $8.10 on Amazon.

According to the product description, the product is made of 100 percent natural calcium bentonite (green) clay and contains no additives or fragrances. It’s meant to be used once per week and only left on for 5 minutes if you have sensitive skin, or 10-20 minutes tops. Especially if you have sensitive skin, it’s recommend that you not go over the 5 minutes to ensure you’re working to reduce redness and prevent drying. Other than that, it claims to be safe to use for all skin types.

To use, you’re supposed to mix the clay mask with water or apple cider vinegar until it makes a paste. Then, apply it to your face and allow to dry for the recommended time. The company claims the clay draws impurities right out of your skin.

Both clay and apple cider vinegar have benefits for the skin, including reducing acne and restoring balance to aggravated skin. And according to the product’s official website, the use of clay in beauty rituals dates back to when Cleopatra used clay from the Nile River in her beauty routine.

The Reviews

One skeptical Business Insider writer, Mara Leighton, gave the product a try after it was highly recommended to her. She had nothing but good things to say about it afterwards.

“Even though I’ve been obsessed with face masks for years, this is the only one that I would go so far as to claim has actually markedly (and for the longterm) improved my skin. After a few weeks of using it once a week, my temperamental combination skin is smoother, clearer, and a more even overall,” she wrote for Business Insider.

And many, many Amazon reviews back up her claims.

“I struggle [with] cystic acne … after about 3 weeks of doing masks at least 2x a week, my skin cleared up dramatically! Look at photos for reference, very happy customer,” one Amazon review read.

The reviewer even shared a before and after photos:

This is before using the product:

And three weeks later:

Another happy customer wrote, “Really impressed with this product,” alongside a photo that showed just how much the clay mask had reduced the size of the pores on the nose.

But, there are those that aren’t fans of the product.

One person who used this more than the recommended once per week saw an extremely negative outcome.

“Maybe it works for others. Don’t assume you’re not unlucky enough to be That One Person that has a negative experience,” the review read.

The review came with an image of her previously clear skin after using the clay mask every other day:

Others who left negative reviews also seemed to have a problem with it causing their skin to break out more.

One person also wasn’t a fan of how drying the product is.

“Sadly, I found this to be extremely drying, especially when mixed with Braggs ACV (which my face generally tolerates well as a toner) Mixed with water, [it] helped alleviate some of the dryness but not enough to comfortably continue using this product. My face felt completely stripped and irritated,” another negative review read.

It seems to be important to follow the directions when using this mask. And of course, you have to do what is best for you and your skin. Just because thousands of others have used this product and loved it doesn’t mean it will yield the same results for you, so definitely use carefully and as directed.

So, what do you think? Are you willing to give this a try?