I’m so sorry I have been a bit quiet on the blog front everyone! I have just moved back to Australia and have been pretty much on the go since I have returned, so my blog posts won’t be as often as I would like them to be in the next week or two. I have been quite busy catching up with family and friends and the Mr and I have been on the hunt for an apartment! I’m hoping we get one soon and until we settle into one, my blog posts may be a little sporadic! I will however endeavor to post as often as I can!
As some of your may know, I recently purchased an item from May Lindstrom – as I loved The Honey Mud and wanted to try something different in my skincare. My most recent purchase from May Lindstrom Skin was The Clean Dirt, an gentle exfoliating cleanser. I both love and dislike The Clean Dirt as I find that this cleansing clay leaves my skin feeling beautifully soft and radiant after cleansing. However, sometimes if I am not careful with how moisturise and hydrate my skin afterwards, my skin does become slightly irritated around the eye area and jaw line. I have found that this could be due to some of the ingredients that are in The Clean Dirt that just do not sit with my sensitive skin. Despite this however, I still continue to use May Lindstrom’s The Clean Dirt due to the fact it really does work so well to purify my complexion with May’s wonderful and well thought out blend of natural botanicals, clays and spices. I just need to be a bit more careful with how and how often I use this which is a shame because my skin looks and feels so good when I wash this wonderful cleansing clay off!
What Is It?
May Lindstrom Skin The Clean Dirt is a unique blend of different clays such as white Halloysite Clay and Red Morrocan Clay, healing salts and warming spices that are activated with liquid/water to cleanse and gently exfoliate the skin.
What Does It Do?
The Clean Dirt is considered to be a more natural version of microdermabrasion as its blend of ingredients aim to lift impurities in the skin and give the complexion a beautiful radiant glow when activated with water. The Clean Dirt also acts as natural exfoliant which also aims to the leave the skin smooth and supple after use. It can also be used as a face mask and can be mixed with other of May’s products such as the Honey Mud.
Ingredients:
White Halloysite Clay, Red Moroccan Rhassoul Clay, Red Alaea Sea Salt, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Sodium Bicarbonate, *Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow) Root, *Rosa Centifolia (Pink Rose), *Calendula Officinalis (Calendula) Flower, *Cinnamomum Zeylanicum (Cinnamon), * Myristica Fragans (Nutmeg), *Syzygium Aromaticum (Clove), *Curcuma Longa (Turmeric), *Zingiber Officinale (Ginger), *Vanilla Planifolia Bean, **Theobroma Cacao (Raw Cacao).
*Certified Organic
**Fair Trade Certified
May Lindstrom’s The Clean Dirt does not contain any synthetic ingredients, so for those who are into natural and organic skincare this ingredients listing is quite clean. However, those with sensitive skin do need to be careful with the addition of Sodium Bicarbonate and Ginger as these two ingredients might be too potent for the skin.
My Thoughts:
I went through a few phases when playing around with May Lindstrom’s The Clean Dirt, initially I loved it as it left my skin so smooth and soft. After using it a few times, I wasn’t sure if I loved it as much as I was concerned that it was too harsh for my skin and now, I am happy to say that I do enjoy using this but I do need to be quite careful with how and when I use this.
After using The Clean Dirt for the first time, my skin really did feel soft, purified and radiant as I felt that the formulation really did lift any impurities in my skin. I noticed immediately that my skin not only felt cleaner, it was also much softer as well due to the exfoliating properties of the cleansing clay. The Clean Dirt in no way dried out my skin straight after using it (ie. no tightness after washing the product off). However, I did notice that sometimes when I use this, my skin would become a bit irritated (not crazy irritated, just a little) and I did narrow this down to perhaps the combination of the sodium bicarbonate, ginger and exfoliating clays which may be too harsh for my sensitive skin.
Sodium Bicarbonate (ie. baking soda) is a controversial ingredient in skincare (especially those of the DIY variety) as it has a high pH level when mixed with water making it alkaline. Having briefly read some scientific journals (provided by blogger Snow White and the Asian Pear here) about how pH levels are so important in skincare, it gave me some insight as to why perhaps the Clean Dirt might not be best for my skin. In short – when you apply a product that has a high pH/is alkaline on the skin (especially important in cleansing), you can damage the skin as it disrupts the skin’s natural acid mantle. The acid mantle is important to the skin as it protects the skin from pollution, bacteria and damage. When the acid mantle is destroyed due to an alkaline product, it strips the skin of it’s natural oils and moisture which leaves it exposed to the natural elements. This allows unwanted bacteria to grow and the skin to become quite irritated and dry.
In saying that though, there are many people who do use sodium bicarbonate in their DIY formulations and swear by it as they have had the best skin of their life so I cannot help but be in two minds about the use of sodium bicarbonate in The Clean Dirt. Perhaps it does depend on skin type as to how it effects the skin and also how a product is formulated with this ingredient in it (ie. how much or how potent it is). For me, I think I do need to be a bit careful when I use this cleanser and what products I will use before and after it as it does sometimes cause my skin to be a bit irritated the next day. However, I do love how this product leaves my skin feeling and looking afterwards though which is why I haven’t and probably won’t stop using it for the time being.
Image Source: www.maylindstromskin.com
When using the Clean Dirt, I do mix the about 1 teaspoon of the product with a few drops of water and as soon as water mixes with the powder, it becomes a beautiful mousse which I then apply on to my skin. I feel a slight tingle on the skin when applied (which is normal as it is a gentle exfoliant) and I do massage this around the face. When I wash the Clean Dirt mixture off it reveals a beautiful smooth, clean and purified complexion. My skin feels extremely soft and I really do love how my skin looks and feels after using The Clean Dirt as it really does leave a beautiful radiant glow. However, if I am not careful with giving my skin the right moisture and hydration after using this, I feel that my skin is susceptible to feeling quite irritated the next day. I find that applying a face oil and a moisturiser on top works best to soothe my skin and irritation is usually avoided. I also have used this as a ‘spot cleanser’ now as well, applying the mixture only to the chin, nose and forehead (the areas where I get the most congestion) and I find that it decongests these areas quite well and irritation is generally avoided as these areas are my most oily on my face. I am still playing around to see what works best for me in using the Clean Dirt and so far the spot cleansing and mixing this with a product like The Honey Mud, give me the wonderful and deep cleanse that I want from this but also it doesn’t lead to skin irritation later on.
The Clean Dirt does have a slight botanical/spice smell that isn’t at all overpowering but can be a bit uncomfortable for those who are sensitive to smells. It is also housed in a luxurious black miron glass bottle which helps to protect the longevity of the ingredients. I would recommend that those with sensitive skin to perhaps use The Clean Dirt with caution or at least get a sample first before using it and when using it, to be careful not to use it too often. Those with combination or oily skin will find that this does work extremely well to unclog and decongest your skin, especially in those hot summer months. Whilst the USD $60 price tag might seem quite a lot to spend on a cleanser, do note that this cleanser comes in powder form and a little bit does go quite a long way. The active ingredients will also be at its most potent, as ingredients such as the Vitamin C in this formulation (great for radiant skin) are only activated when you actually go to use the product with water/liquid.
Overall, I really do love the results I get from using May Lindstrom Skin The Clean Dirt but I am also quite wary at the same time of how often and how I use this due to the fact that the sodium bicarbonate may be too harsh for my sensitive skin and it is perhaps effecting my skin’s acid mantle. I do get irritated at times when I use The Clean Dirt, especially when I am not careful with how I moisturise and hydrate my skin afterwards. However, The Clean Dirt is so effective at cleansing my skin and decongesting it on a hot, humid day as the mixture of the clays and sodium bicarbonate are so effective in removing any impurities such as oils or dead skin cells that I still continue to use it with much caution.
Repurchase YAY or NAY:
At this point in time, I will probably not repurchase May Lindstrom Skin The Clean Dirt again due to the fact my skin does react to this sometimes and I do need to be so careful with when and how I use this product. It is in no way an ineffective product as it does deliver fantastic results, its just my skin may be too sensitive to use this and I find that perhaps the sodium bicarbonate does not agree with my skin the way that it may agree with others. It’s important to remember that all skin is different so what works for others may not work for you and for me, this is that sort of case. It’s such a shame because I do love the way my skin looks and feels after using this but the next day, my skin in some areas feel quite dry and irritated and therefore requires a little bit more TLC. Whilst I think it might be a fantastic exfoliating cleanser for some, for me to use on a regular basis, it might just be a bit too much and a bit too harsh which is such a shame as I really do love how my skin looks and feels afterwards.
May Lindstrom’s The Clean Dirt can be purchased from the May Lindstrom Skin website for USD$60 for 200ml and on Cultbeauty for GBP£48.
Have you used May Lindstrom’s The Clean Dirt? What are your thoughts on this? I would love to know via the comments section below!
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