Sometimes, a product from a well-known brand surprises you with its efficacy. And it’s times like that that you find a little vindication in not always going for everything niche and expensive. A product I’d been meaning to share is The Body Shop Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask.
This wasn’t love at first sight though. I ran into problems the first few times I used it, and there wasn’t a lot of information out there about how to address them. So, enter me! PB to the rescue! LOL 😀
The Body Shop Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask is one of the masks available in their mask wardrobe. I’d been quite fascinated by them for a while, and I’ve been told that the clay masks are quite good. They are quite affordable too, which is useful when you have to slather on a product generously.
But when I was shopping around before this, my eye was drawn to the Ethiopian Honey mask, simply because I like using products with honey. They are always soothing to the skin, hydrating and nourishing. All good stuff! So home I traipsed with a pot of hunny in my bag, just like Pooh 😀
Might I just say that I like the packaging very much. It comes in a sturdy glass jar, and a wide lid that I find easy to grab and twist. This is more important than you realize, for when your hands are gooey with mask, fiddling around with tiny caps or lids can be a hassle.
And yes, this stuff is gooey. Just like honey.
In fact, it even looks just like honey! I mean, look at that!
Because it is rather gooey, the best way to use The Body Shop Ethiopian Honey mask is to use a brush. Just get any synthetic flat paddle-shaped brush out there, dip in and apply to skin. You can also use your fingers of course, but you’d have to be quick about it.
On skin, the texture is rather thick with the sticky consistency of honey. However, if you are expecting it to smell sweet like honey, you’d be mistaken. In fact, honey that is very pure doesn’t smell sweet – don’t believe me? Take a sniff next time. The ones that smell sweet, and are easily found on supermarket shelves are often blended with sugar. This one smells musky and earthy, just like good, raw honey smells.
I like using this one on days when my skin needs something a little extra. I think of it a little like a more affordable version of the top of the range Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask. It isn’t as effective, but it will do if you want something less damaging to the wallet.
What it does for me, is to soothe my skin if it’s feeling irritated. That can happen occasionally when I’m being overzealous, or when I over exfoliate. That hasn’t been happening much lately, because I’ve been quite good and not overdoing the acid toners. I also like this one for boosting my skin’s hydration, and it leaves my skin feeling softer, smoother and all round brighter. It is, as the name says, deeply nourishing.
So where’s the bee in my bonnet you ask?
Well, it’s when you have to remove it.
You see, the sticky goo will dry a little on your skin. It doesn’t dry completely and remains tacky. It’s like those gooey bits that stick to the bottom and sides of a frying pan. You can’t quite remove it just like that. And that’s true of The Body Shop Ethiopian Honey mask as well. You can’t remove it with mere water. Some people said to use circular motions and rub it, but it did nothing for me. It frustrated me a lot in the early days.
When I realised the easiest way to remove The Body Shop Ethiopian Honey mask – use a sponge. I have a flat cellulose sponge that I use for removing masks. They are very cheap and you can buy them at most beauty supply stores. Or you can use a face cloth if you like.
Using the sponge, the mask removal is a breeze! There is no residue, but my skin feels lovely and soft and plumped. I usually leave it on for about 45 minutes or so, and it doesn’t drip so it is quite comfortable. If you have long hair, you may want to keep it away from your face or it might stick, but otherwise, I’ve got no problems with this whatsoever!
IN A NUTSHELL
The Body Shop Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask is a wash-off mask that is infused with honey. As the name implies, it is very nourishing to the skin, and soothing. Skin is left feeling soft and smooth and it is a lovely, indulgent treat. I find that removal is easiest with a sponge or cloth, as it can feel very tacky on skin when dry.
PROS: Affordable, Does not slip off skin, Leaves skin feeling soft, nourished and soothed, Skin feels hydrated
CONS: Can be hard to remove from skin, Can be messy
WHO WILL LIKE THIS: Anyone who wants an affordable nourishing and soothing mask
PRICE: RM93.40 | US$28 | £17 for 75ml
WHERE TO BUY: The Body Shop stores and online (MY) Online (USA), Ulta
For those interested, here is the ingredient list for The Body Shop Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask.
Aqua/Water/Eau, Mel/Honey/Miel, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, Polysorbate 20, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, PEG-150 Distearate, Phenoxyethanol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Benzyl Alcohol, Parfum/Fragrance, Sodium Hydroxide, Olea Europaea Fruit Oil/Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil, Sesamum Indicum Seed Oil/Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Seed Oil, Disodium EDTA, Linalool, Caramel.
Are honey masks your thing? Are there other Body Shop masks I should try?
I like using honey as a mask, but because I consume the good ones which can be expensive, I rather buy a honey mask than DIY. Not to say that you couldn’t! Any other Body Shop masks that are a must try? 🙂
Paris B
Thanks for sharing. Love the photos – makes the product look luxurious and irresistible.
It does sound like quite a bit of effort (and tool) is required to use it, and I’m quite a lazy old girl. LOL!
After wiping off the mask (with sponge or cloth), do you still need to wash it off with cleanser? If not, can I assume you didn’t face any pore-clogging issues? Cause I’m quite prone to pimples – just wanna make sure. 🙂
Thanks Nicole 🙂 Always a challenge to try to take nice photos at any time! To be fair, the tool is optional. Fingers work as well, just that it is rather goopy and sticky so getting it to spread is a bit harder. But not impossible! And no I never wash again with a cleanser because that to me, removes all the goodness of the mask. And nope, I did not face any problems whatsoever! That said, different people may experience different results so if you’re prone to spots, perhaps one of the other masks might be more suitable, not this 🙂
Thanks for answering my queries. Glad to know it worked on you and that it doesn’t require further washing. Happy holiday!
Happy holiday to you too! Today’s a good day to slap on a mask and just chillax – how rare to get a mid-week break 😀
Get to know this mask from your Instagram live some time ago. I bought honey mask, green tea and another is Rose petal. So far Honey mask is the best, although it is a bit troublesome to remove the mask. It is a must to remove with face clothes…I also like to use the Green tea mask with some ex floating factor. I am too obey with the instruction to apply the mask only for 10 minutes…shall put longer like you next time…
Hullo! It’s been yonks since I did an IG live haven’t I? 😀 I don’t even remember sharing about this then – did I say I liked it? LOL! 😀 I also bought the British Rose one but I’m not as impressed by it. I haven’t tried the others because they all seem to be more clay-ey so I was afraid it might be more drying on my skin than I like. Usually, with hydrating or nourishing masks, I leave them on as long as I can because I feel like I get better benefits. I watch TV with them on, and one episode of a TV series is about right! But if it’s a peel mask then do follow instructions. You have me intrigued by the Green Tea mask!
Oh my goodness, it looks totally yummy & exactly like honey! I’m glad that honey is the second ingredient on the list. It frustrates me a little when something says honey mask & have honey at the very bottom of the list. I’m really tempted to get it (even though I’m currently on a no-buy ban). I’ve been eyeing The Body Shop skincare products for a looooong time. Some of them are pretty nice too. Maybe one day, this will make it into my collection too hehe~ I do love honey, Propolis products! They do wonders for sensitive skin.
Yep, honey is a good ingredient and I’m noticing it being used more and more in cosmetics today. Even eating honey has become really expensive! I hope this doesn’t spoil it for those of us who love eating honey too LOL! 😀 That said, I must say that TBS has been quite impressive in recent times with their new releases. They seem to have really stepped up their game and I’m intrigued!