Comparing Mint Julep Masks: Queen Helene Vs. Black Kettle Soap

Mint Julep is one of the up and coming designer trends being used in skin care products. There are currently two main products on the market that are using mint julep in their recipes- Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask and Black Kettle Soap Company’s Mint Julep Scrub.

These two products have raised a lot of buzz through online skincare forums, but how much do we really know about them? Which is better? Are they used for the same thing?

We decided to take it upon ourselves to do the necessary research to find out. Below, you will find a detailed outline of our findings for both products. This research included an extensive look into their ingredients, how they work, if they work, and how their consumers have responded in online reviews.

If you’ve ever had a mint julep, you know that there are two very important factors involved in the crisp, cool, summery drink that most of us love. These factors are mint and alcohol.

But how does this transfer to skincare? That’s what we were curious about, too, so we decided to look a little further and find out why, exactly, mint julep is making a debut on the skincare scene.

Mint

Mint calms and soothes the skin from irritation. If there are complications to the skin because of free radical damage, sunburn, or other issues, then mint can help cool the skin and make you more comfortable. It’s worth mentioning that there are also ongoing studies right now to determine whether or not mint cancer preventative qualities.

Alcohol

The alcohol found in both of these products is called propylene glycol. This alcohol is known to be a fantastic skin conditioner. In fact, it is often used in cosmetic toners and face washes. This ingredient cleans deep, helps to clear clogged pores, and leave you feeling refreshed.

We wanted to compare each of these products because they seem to be the two most common mint julep masks on the market right now.

Although one is a mint julep mask and one is a mint julep scrub, we feel that they are easily comparable based on their ingredients and the overall theme of the products. They seem to want to do the same things, so although they are to be used differently, they are still very much on par with one another in terms of comparisons and how they might work.

They are, however, each very unique.

This mint julep themed product is one that is designed to exfoliate. Among its main ingredients are shea butter, sugar, and sodium cocoate, along with spearmint leaves and propylene glycol.

This product is designed not only for usefulness, but also aesthetic appeal, and it makes no attempts to hide this fact. In its own product description, it says it will “look great in your bathroom.” This is likely because it is packaged in a clear jar with a tastefully simple label.

However, we have to wonder if the aesthetic appeal of the product is all there is to it, or if there’s a chance that it might actually do some good in terms of quality skin care, also.

This product is based on an old natural home remedy. It has been perfected, over time, by a dermatologist and is now used to dry up acne, rinse away the “gunk” that is freed from clogged pores, and shrink the appearance of oversized pores.

The product has been used for several decades now and seems to be a recurring favorite among its clientele. While it is probably not the best-known skin care cream on the market, this mint julep mask certainly has staying power. Those who have tried it over the years seem to swear by it, so it continues to gain momentum in sales.

The product also says that it can ease tension around the face and neck when used properly, giving it a simple edge over its competition in this comparison, although it is admittedly not as pretty in its packaging.

The next thing we wanted to look at was how the products work. Because each one is formulated differently, it only stands to reason that they will need to be applied and used differently, as well.

Below, we will discuss the directions for the use of each of these products and whether or not the instructions appear to be useful in terms of the issues the products are meant to resolve. We will also examine the products for clearly written directions and ease of use, which are two more important factors to consider when purchasing a new skincare product.

The instructions for this product are pretty clearly outlined.

Black Kettle Soap Company recommends that you take one cube from the jar into the shower with you and rub it over your skin. You should rub it in more over any spots on your skin that are especially rough or broken out.

The sugar in the cubes will act as an exfoliant while the mint will soothe the skin and the glycol will help shrink and clean out the pores.

In this sense, the product does seem to be useful. The directions are outlined clearly and they ingredients are meant to act in a way that aligns with what we know about their usefulness. While the Mint Julep Scrub might be marketed as having aesthetic appeal, it does appear that Black Kettle Soap Company has made an attempt to create a product that also works.

This is a good step forward for the scrub in relation to this comparison.

The Queen Helene Mint Julep Mask also offers clear and concise instructions for use.

To use this product, a person must first wash their face and neck. This doesn’t mean giving it a simple wipe down. This means giving it a thorough cleaning with a quality soap and then rinsing well and patting it dry.

When the skin is damp, the mint julep mask should be applied in a generous layer. Once applied, the mask should be allowed to air dry and set for at least fifteen minutes. If you are dealing with a particularly troublesome area, the product can be left on your skin overnight.

When you are ready to rinse the product off, you simply use warm water and a clean washcloth.

During this process, the mask will dry on the face. Working together, the mint will soothe the skin as the glycol pulls out any blockages in the pores and then minimizes the pores once cleaned out.

These appear to be adequate instructions that will work well with the ingredients that are listed.

The best way to get a feel for how a product works is to look at online reviews. Online reviews will tell us exactly what we need to know in terms of how a product works in the real world, compared to the claims it makes for itself in its own marketing.

To assess these online reviews, we carefully picked through them, eliminating any that we thought might be paid positives. Instead, we focused only on the ones that seemed to be legitimate reviews from real customers.

In doing this, we were able to pull a comprehensive sample of how these products stacked up in relation to one another and their effectiveness overall.

Most of the online reviews we found for this product seemed to be somewhat mixed. While many stated that the sugar scrub had a pleasant smell and appearance, there were some people that said the product just didn’t work as well as they’d hoped.

The most common complaint was that the sugar cubes dissolved quicker than they should have, often leading to the use of more than one at a time. This was a frustrating realization for those that were already dismayed by the price of the product and its shipping.

Other reviews, though, stated that the product worked exactly as it should have. This leaves us to wonder if a water quality issue might play a part in how fast the product dissolves.

Product reviews for the mint julep mask were a little more overwhelmingly positive. Many stated that the product worked well and was as refreshing as it promised it would be in its advertising.

Some reviewers even stated that they saw noticeable results from the mint julep mask in less than a week.

Overall, we believe that the mint julep mask is the more effective of the two products that we examined. The mask seems to work better and have better quality ingredients. It also seems to be formulated to work, rather than just to provide aesthetic appeal, which is a big plus if you’re looking for something that will truly do the job its intended for.