I’ve tried a lot of mask products to reduce pore size and clear up my skin. That includes expensive as well as more affordable masks. The truth is, there have been few I liked nearly as well as any Queen Helene mask. My go-tos are the Mud Pack Masque and the Mint Julep Masque.
Queen Helene mask to the rescue
I’ve used Queen Helene’s Mint Julep Masque and Queen Helene Mud Pack Masque since I was a teenager. They’ve been around forever, and I think there’s a reason why they’ve survived while so many beauty products come and go. I’m sure it helps that they’re very affordable.
How I use them
These are tips I’ve discovered through trial and error about how I get the best results from these masks. Your mileage may vary.
- You only need to apply a thin layer – just enough so your skin isn’t immediately showing through. More won’t hurt, but it doesn’t seem to perform any better. How little you use adds to how economical these products are.
- The Mud Masque is an excellent pore cleanser that’s gentle enough for my sensitive normal-to-dry skin. I use it twice a week and my skin is not only clearer but softer. It feels more elastic, too. I don’t have any sort of reaction to the masque at all.
- Mint Julep is amazing at drying up pimples. You can use it as a spot treatment rather than an overall mask. That’s what I often do on my face (or on my shoulders, where I also sometimes get acne), and I find it sometimes works even faster than prescription-strength benzoyl peroxide cream. To use it as a spot treatment, just clean the area with your usual soap/cleanser, then dab the masque on the spot and leave it at least 20 minutes. I leave it on all night sometimes. Again, I’ve never had any sort of bad reaction.
- The Mint Julep is not as good at pore-cleansing as the mud masque, and the Mud Masuqe is not as effective with pimples as the Mint Julep. In my opinion, the two products serve two different functions, so you may need one or both of them, depending on your skin type and what you’re looking for the product(s) to do.
- You can mix them. I’ve had good results mixing them together and putting that mixture on my skin.
These have been a great find for me. They do just what I want at a very affordable price, and without any skin irritation. That said, I can’t promise they won’t irritate anyone else: virtually any ingredient is going to irritate somebody’s skin, because that’s how sensitivity works.
