The SAEM Cleome Refining Dual Mask Wash Off Review

I have used a few The Saem products in the past, but had stayed mainly with cleansing water, foot care items and makeup. Last fall I branched out to a ginseng essence, which IS AMAZING (review here) and I am now starting to give The Saem more love as this is an underrated brand. More people have to try it! Jolse, a premier Korean online store, sent me this product for review purposes.

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My skin type and concerns: Oily but aging. Blemish prone, pores, hyper-pigmentation, fine lines and wrinkles.

What This Is

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Multi-masking is all the rage right now ~ where you use different wash off masks on your face to target specific needs ~ you customize your masking to find the perfect balance for your skin! So much so, that brands are now creating dual masks so you can have an oil control mask and a moisturizing mask ~ all in the same product. The Saem has done this with their Cleome Refining Dual Mask, which has a traditional clay oil control wash off mask pack and a bouncy moisture-hydration clay mask pack on the other side. Both masks are clay mask packs and they share many of the same ingredients. I will touch base on some of the common ingredients and then some of the differences.

Both Masks

Both masks contain cleome gynandra, also known as African cabbage and spider plant, whose leaves are full of vitamins and minerals, such as vitamins A, C, iron, magnesium, copper, phosphorus and calcium. Due to these vitamins, it is a rich source for antioxidant benefits, helping to prevent and protect your skin against free radical damage. It is also full of flavonoids which act as an anti-inflammatory ~ important for blemish prone skin. Cleome also has anti-microbial benefits which will help in preventing blemishes and control sebum. Chondrus crispus, aka red seaweed/Irish Moss, is rich in natural sodium, and is a powerful ingredient that pulls moisture into the skin to create a healthy complexion. It is also full of minerals and other nutrients, including vitamins A, E, and K. It also contains sulfur, which is known to help fight skin blemishes.

They both contain 2 clays ~ bentonite clay, from volcanic ash, which is for smoothing, exfoliating, cleaning pores and improving overall skin tone. Kaolin, a white clay that helps remove dirt and debris on your skin, while absorbing excess oil and reducing shine. Kaolin is very good for oily and blemish-prone skin.

Salicylic acid and willow bark are BHA’s (beta hydroxy acids) and help exfoliate skin by removing dead skin cells and help combat acne. It is also high in anti-oxidants, which tone and reduce inflammation as well as being an astringent and controls oil. Sugar cane (saccharum officinarum) also has exfoliating and hydrating benefits as it contains AHA glycolic acid. Oleanolic acid has soothing anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits and panthenol helps cellular renewal and is an effective moisturizer, as well as an anti-inflammatory. Fermented soybeans is not only an potent anti-oxidant but has anti-inflammatory benefits, while polypeptides moisturize your skin.

They have a plant based sebum care complex called “Natural Protector” and it contains some of the above mentioned ingredients: fermented soybean, white willow bark, Chinese cinnamon, oregano, chamaecyparis obtusa (cypress), portulaca oleracea and scutellaria baicalensis. Another plant based complex for pore care is called “Pore Minimizer” and contains: enantia chlorantha bark, fomes officinalis (mushroom), rosa multiflora, rhus semialata gall and evening primrose

Blue Clay Mask Pack has both of their clay ingredients as the number 2 and 3 ingredient in the product. It also has a 2 more clay ingredients ~ montmorillonite, also known as French blue clay. Montmorillonite absorbs excess oil, toxins and other impurities from your skin, while helping to tone your skin and help reduce the appearance of your pores. It is one of the best clay’s for detoxification. Illite, aka French green clay, is very finely milled and has a plethora of minerals. It helps cleanse your skin by absorbing excess oil and debris while removing dead skin cells. This also has oleic acid, which has moisturizing and regeneration properties and also lauric acid, moisturizing but has anti-microbial properties, so it helps fight and heal blemishes.

Blue Moisturizing Mask Pack has glycerin as its second ingredient and that makes a world of difference with the texture and application of this mask. Glycerin moisturizes and hydrates the skin, leaving your face feeling smooth and soft and it is a humectant, so it attracts and captures moisture to your skin. It also contains water from the Rakiraki area on Fiji Island ~ Fiji water is captured thru one of the world’s last pristine ecosystems and as rain falls in the rain forest, it gets filtered through volcanic rock. This filtering causes the water to absorb minerals and electrolytes, so it is packed with nutrients for your skin. It has two clays in it as mentioned before, but kaolin is much further down the list of ingredients.

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Blue Clay Mask Pack: Water, Bentonite, Kaolin, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Cetearyl Alcohol, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum(Sugarcane) Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Palmitic Acid, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Cetyl Ethylhexanoate,Moroccan Lava Clay, Panthenol, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Montmorillonite, Phenoxyethanol, Illite, Xanthan Gum, Quartz, Caprylyl Glycol, Chromium Oxide Greens (CI 77288), Ethylhexylglycerin, Ultramarines (CI 77007), Butylene Glycol,Fragrance, Disodium EDTA, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Propanediol, Myristic Acid, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Salicylic Acid, Arachidic Acid, Fomes Officinalis (Mushroom) Extract, Lauric Acid, Oleic Acid, Glycerin,Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Cleome Gynandra Leaf Extract, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract,Oleanolic Acid cosDNA analysis

Blue Moisturizing Mask Pack: Water, Glycerin, Cetearyl Alcohol, Bentonite, Ethylhexyl Palmitate, Chondrus Crispus Extract, Saccharum Officinarum (Sugarcane) Extract, Alcohol Denat., Kaolin, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Dimethicone, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Methyl Methacrylate Crosspolymer, PEG-8, Gellan Gum, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium Lauroyl Glutamate, Butylene Glycol, Propanediol, Disodium EDTA, Fragrance, Oenothera Biennis (Evening Primrose) Flower Extract, Rhus Semialata Gall Extract, Salicylic Acid, Fomes Officinalis (Mushroom) Extract, 1,2-Hexanediol, Cleome Gynandra Leaf Extract, Camellia Japonica Flower Extract, Enantia Chlorantha Bark Extract, Ethylhexylglycerin, Rosa Multiflora Fruit Extract, Blue 1 (CI 42090), Chamaecyparis Obtusa Leaf Extract, Origanum Vulgare Leaf Extract, Salix Alba (Willow) Bark Extract, Cinnamomum Cassia Bark Extract, Lactobacillus/Soybean Ferment Extract, Portulaca Oleracea Extract, Scutellaria Baicalensis Root Extract, Oleanolic Acid cosDNA analysis

I love the packaging on this clay pack ~ it comes in a beautiful deep aqua/teal glass jar that is almost flat looking ~ but it does contain 100 mL of product ~ 50 mL each of the mask packs. The lid is a faux wooden plastic cap and there is an inner lid that is separated so that the packs don’t mix with one another. It also comes with a small plastic spatula.

This mask pack has an aqua shade where the clay pack is more darker and dense than the moisturize clay pack ~ that is almost sky blue in color. The clay pack is thicker and has the more traditional dense texture of a clay pack and it is for deep cleansing and detoxing. The moisture pack still has clay in it, but due to the glycerin, it has a more bouncy feel ~ or as The Saem describes it ~ marshmallow.

Perfect for combination skin, this dual pack of wash-off masks includes one for deep cleansing and another for intense hydration. Both are made with natural plant-based cleome extract to help blemishes and sebum, as well as anti-inflammatory benefits, and can be used together or separately based on individual skincare needs.

So, the idea is to put the clay pack on your oily bits (T-Zone) and the moisture pack on your not-so-oily facial bits (U Zone), so I obediently put the clay pack on my forehead, nose and chin and the moisture pack on my cheeks and the sides of my temples. This has a slight floral scent, nothing horrific and both mask packs feel very cooling and soothing on my skin. The clay pack doesn’t dry down completely but enough moisture has been removed from the clay pack ~ but it isn’t tight or uncomfortable on my skin. The moisture mask pack stays pretty hydrated and moist ~ it has a gummy texture after 10 minutes. I did notice that once I rinsed off the mask packs, my skin looked more clearer and moisturized without feeling oily. However, I would not recommend just leaving your skin as as ~ just because I used a moisture pack doesn’t mean that my skin is all nice and hydrated for the day. Always follow up any wash off mask packs with some additional skincare products, even if it is just some hydrating toners and lotions.

Final Thoughts

This is a nice mask pack that I think would really work well for those with combination and oily skin. It is gentle and non-drying and if you want to start dual masking, but do not have a lot of clay mask products, this is a nice one to try. I haven’t found anything out there like the moisturizing mask pack here ~ the closest comparison I can think of is the old Bonvivant Mellow Clay Mask Hawaiian Pink Calamine (now I DEW Care Take It Easy Calm Mask) but The Saem is more moisturizing and its texture is more “fluffy”. I love the packaging and the colors of the masks too ~ very unusual and very cool looking. Have you tried any products from The Saem? Are you interested in the dual masking concept with an oil control product for your T-Zone and a more moisturizing product for your U-Zone?

You can purchase 100 mL jar of The SAEM Cleome Refining Dual Mask Pack for under $15.00 USD ~ prices will fluctuate slightly due to the Korean Won/USD conversion. Jolse has free shipping all the time, ships internationally and gives out free samples.