Review: Aztec Clay Mask by Aztec Secret
Anyone with a regular skincare regimen is familiar with the idea of the face and body mask. One of the most common types of facial masks is the clay mask.
There are many benefits to the use of clay masks is their ability to clean and soothe the skin of the face and body. They can help clear up unsightly blemishes like acne and help skin feel its smoothest.
The Aztec Clay Mask is a favorite among those who have made clay a part of their regular skincare regimen. If you’ve spent any time shopping for facial masks, you’ve undoubtedly run across advertisements for the Aztec product. Like many of you, we wondered how the mask worked and if it was really worth all of the hype, so we decided to do some digging of our own.
What is an Aztec Clay Mask?
An Aztec Clay mask is a clay made of natural, calcium-rich bentonite clay. The clay is completely naturally- occurring in the environment and is packaged free of added fragrances, animal products, or other additives. This means it is a 100% natural face mask.
The clay is mined from various places around the world. In the United States, it is most often found in the states of Texas, Wyoming, Montana, and Arizona. Throughout the world, it is also found in Egypt, India, and France, most commonly.
There are many benefits to using Aztec clay. The clay has an ionic pull that can pull out skin contaminants. It is also known to pull the skin to the cheeks and other T-zones of the face because it constricts the tissue while it works. This creates a more youthful glow to the skin.
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Aztec Secret claims that their [amazon_link asins=’B0014P8L9W|B0014P8L9W|B0014P8L9W’ template=’PriceLink’ store=’weareaging_us-20|weareaging_ca-20|weareaging_uk-21′ marketplace=’US|CA|UK’] clay mask is “the world’s most powerful facial.” While these claims are easy to make, they do back their claim up with some facts.
All of the clay used in Aztec Secret comes from Death Valley, California. There, it is dried by natural sunlight in the humidity-free climate for up to six months before packaging. The temperature in Death Valley often reaches as high as 130 degrees F.
They say that this is the same clay that was often used by early Native Americans. It is said that they used the clay to treat everything from skin infections to insect bites and an antivenom.
Today, the clay is widely used among celebrities and aestheticians for the stars.
How is Aztec Clay in Comparison to Competitors?
The only way to know how a product truly measures up to its competitors is to take a close look and run a side by side comparison. We recognize that most people don’t have the time to do this themselves, so we have decided to take liberty to do this for you.
We have found five of the leading competitors for Aztec Secret on the market. We read their product descriptions, levied their prices, and scrolled through dozens of online reviews to determine how each product measures up.
Below, we will tackle each competing brand individually with a report on how they compare to Aztec Secret’s Aztec Clay Mask.
Earth’s Living Calcium Bentonite Clay
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This Aztec clay mask is milled from the same clay found in Death Valley, California. It has been milled through 325 screen mesh to a thin, pharmaceutical grade powder. It is lab tested and guaranteed free of mold and bacteria, which is not a claim that can be found anywhere in Aztec Secret’s advertising.
The listed ingredients, of course, are exactly the same. Therefore, we are left to look at online reviews for a full comparison of how each product works in relation to the other.
There are, admittedly, very few reviews for Earth’s Living clay, but all of the reviews we find are positive. Many claimed to have used the clay as both a face and body mask and seen amazing results.
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Living Clay does not specify where, exactly, their clay comes from. What they do state is that their product is FDA monitored (neither of the aforementioned products are). They also state that their clay is food grade, meaning it can be taken internally as a detox supplement.
There are a number of online reviews for the Living Clay product to pull from. Most are overwhelmingly positive. They state that their skin felt smoother and more youthful after using the clay and that they noticed almost immediately that their skin was taking on a healthier appearance.
Some reviews did state that the Living Clay product was hard to mix and that getting the correct liquid to powder ratio was difficult and that the recommended measurements didn’t work. This is something to keep in mind in the comparison as we move forward later in the article to take a closer look at Aztec Secret.
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This Aztec Clay Mask product offers a free e-book download with every purchase. This book provides a wealth of information about how to use the product as well as clear step-by-step instructions on how to mix it for both internal and external use.
Tierra Buena also offers a customer service team that is available to walk you through the process over the phone and a 30-day money back guarantee.
There is not much information available about where the clay comes from, but reviews are amazing.
It was hard to find any negative reviews at all, which is something worth mentioning since we browsed through at least 1,000 in search of anyone who had something negative to say.
In the end, the most negative review was not about the product, itself, but about the packaging being difficult to opening. It looks like this product is going to be a hard one for Aztec Secret to beat.
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Anjou’s Aztec Clay Mask product is harvested in Wyoming. It promises to remove oil from the skin, shrink pores, and brighten your skin tone as it fights aging. It contains no additives or preservatives and says it helps exfoliate and balance metabolism to create a clearer complexion
There is no readily available information about whether the product is FDA monitored or approved, however they do specify that this product is not food grade and should be used externally only.
Again, there are mixed reviews. Some claim that the product is hard to mix and actually caused more breakouts. Some say that it worked wonderfully and helped smooth and brighten the skin.
Molivera Organics Bentonite Clay
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This clay is also packaged in Wyoming. It is labeled as the highest premium grade available and also offers a money back guarantee.
Reviews are overwhelmingly positive for this product. They state that the product works well with either water or apple cider vinegar and that it works for everything from every day breakouts to sunburns and bug bites.
Again, the only negative reviews we could find were centered no packaging. They claim that the jar can sometimes leak because it is not made of a thick plastic. This is probably related to Molivera’s commitment to using recycled materials.
Overall, this, too, looks like a hard one to beat.
What Do Online Reviews Say?
Now it’s time to take a closer look at what the Aztec Secret Aztec Clay Mask reviews state. Because we want to ensure that we are doing a completely fair and honest review, we looked at hundreds of online reviews from individuals that have actually used the product.
While we were reading through the reviews, we found several common threads among them. Below, we will examine each of these common statements a little more closely to discuss how they positively or negatively affect the overall quality of this Aztec Clay Mask product.
Easy to Use
Online reviews state that the Aztec Secret Clay Mask is easy to use. The instructions for mixing the product appear to be very clear and everything works as it should in the mixing and masking process.
While other products showed complaints that the mixing ratios were off, this product appears to have them listed exactly as they should be. This is a definite positive in terms of product comparisons. When a person is able to mix their product correctly, they naturally will see better results. This prevents wasted product as well as consumer frustration like that we have seen in prior reviews for competing Aztec Clay Mask products.
Messy When Mixing
While the product is appropriately labeled ratio-wise, it does appear to fall short in terms of how messy it is to use. Some claimed that the clay absorbs water slowly, leaving a leaky and splashy mess as they are trying to mix. Others state that it is nearly impossible to clean the dried product out of bowls and spoons and other utensils used for the mixing.
These complaints are best avoided by rinsing dishes immediately and mixing slowly to avoid splashing or other messy incidents.
Patch Test Necessary
There were a number of reviews stating that the product seemed to cause flare ups in their skin. This is a troubling find because it is not something you would expect from a natural product.
After doing some research, it would appear that the product may not be tested to ensure that it is 100% bacteria free. This doesn’t mean that bacteria will be found in every container, but that sometimes there is a possibility of bacteria making its way in.
While this does seem to be a rare occurrence, it is wise to spot test your product every time you open a new container to ensure that your skin won’t break out.
Dried Skin Out
Some reviews stated that the Aztec Clay Mask seemed to work a little too well. In reducing oil, the product actually appears to have caused extreme dry out conditions for some consumers.
Precaution should be taken when using this product. You should not use it more often than necessary and you should moisturize the skin after every use to prevent such dry out issues of your own.
Can Feel the Pull
There were several reviews that stated the consumers could actually feel the ionic pull of the mask working. They said their skin would tighten and tingle as their skin product was working.
After using the product, they relished in the glow of their new skin and said they could feel the skin continue to get healthier, even hours after the mask came off.
Our Take on Aztec Clay Mask
Aztec Clay Masks in general seem to work. There is little doubt that they are a quality idea in terms of a healthy skincare routine.
Our issue comes in during product comparisons. While the products generally seemed to perform the same way, there were slight differences in how each product was tested and packaged that made all the difference.
While we are in support of Aztec Clay Masks in general, we do not feel that the Aztec Secret mask is all that it wants us to believe. With certain consumers suffering breakouts related to possible bacteria finding its way into the product and without any labeling about testing or FDA oversight, we can’t get much of a feel for how this product, specifically, protects against outside contaminants.
In short, Aztec Clay masks get a positive review. With that said, our review of Aztec Secret is still undecided.