We’re keeping it ultra-simple and accessible today with this cocoa-scented Chocolate Cherry Face Mask. Four beautiful, all-natural ingredients come together to create a silky, rich face mask for some at-home pampering ❤️

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I selected red kaolin clay, also known as rose clay, as the base clay for this mask. Red kaolin is pretty similar to white kaolin in that it is fine, creamy, and relatively gentle, but it also contains some red iron oxide, making it a dusty brick red rather than white. In terms of mineral content, red kaolin is a bit of a hybrid between French green and white kaolin, which is neat (UL Prospector has an informative PDF from Alban Muller on this). If you don’t have red kaolin clay go ahead and use the white version—it is said to be more gentle, but from my experience, I doubt you’ll notice a difference in performance.

Our theme comes into play with the inclusion of some cocoa powder and cherry kernel oil. The cocoa powder brings some gentle physical exfoliation, a lovely cocoa-y scent, and a beautiful chocolatey colour to the mask. Cherry kernel oil adds richness to the mask, keeping it from being too drying. It is rich in vitamins A and E, and is wonderfully lightweight on the skin. You will find that the higher oil concentration means the mask applies a bit differently than clay masks containing less oil—it’s a bit less inclined to stick to the skin, so if you’re applying the mask in layers you’ll probably notice the second layer will wipe off a bit of the first layer. To avoid that, try patting the mask onto the skin if you need to top off any areas that weren’t fully covered on your first pass.

As with most clay face masks, this one comes together very easily. Take care to whisk the clay into the water mixture slowly so you get a lovely, smooth mixture. This is a lovely way to per up your complexion with a bit of at-home pampering—you’ll get some physical exfoliation and a bit of a circulation boost while enjoying a bit of a cocoa-y scent cloud. Be sure to follow up with your favourite moisturizer (I love this one!). Enjoy!

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Chocolate Cherry Face Mask

4.4g | 44% red kaolin clay

0.5g | 5% cocoa powder
0.8g | 8% cherry kernel oil
4.3g | 43% distilled water

Weigh the red kaolin clay into a small dish and set it aside.

Weigh the cocoa powder and cherry kernel oil into a second small dish; whisk to combine. Add the water, and whisk again—this mixture won’t combine well, but that’s ok.

Up next, start sprinkling in the clay a little at a time, whisking between additions, until you’ve incorporated all the clay and you have a thick, glossy, creamy mixture.

Now you’re ready to apply! Pull back your hair and spread the mask all over your face and neck, avoiding your nostrils, lips, and eyes. Leave to dry for 10–15 minutes before rinsing off. Follow up with your favourite moisturizer. Enjoy!

This mask is designed to be made and used immediately; do not make a big batch for future use. If you have some extra you can cover it tightly with some cling film and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 days, but if you stick to the 10g batch size you are unlikely to have any leftovers worth keeping.

Substitutions

As always, be aware that making substitutions will change the final product. While these swaps won’t break the recipe, you will get a different final product than I did.

• As I’ve provided this recipe in percentages as well as grams you can easily calculate it to any size using a simple spreadsheet as I’ve explained in this post. As written in grams this recipe will make 10g—a good amount for a single application. I only recommend scaling this project up if you’re planning on doing face masks with some friends all at the same time.
• To learn more about the ingredients used in this recipe, including why they’re included and what you can substitute them with, please visit the Humblebee & Me Encyclopedia. It doesn’t have everything in it yet, but there’s lots of good information there! If I have not given a specific substitution suggestion in this list please look up the ingredient in the encyclopedia before asking.
• You could use a different light, smooth clay instead of red kaolin. White kaolin would be my first choice, but French green would also work well. Please remember that switching up the clay is likely to result in needing more or less of it to get the same end consisitency.
• I don’t recommend swapping out the cocoa powder or dropping it. You certainly can, but it’s pretty integral to the theme of this mask!
• You can use a different liquid oil your face loves instead of cherry kernel oil.
• You could use a hydrosol you love instead of distilled water—choose something that pairs nicely with cocoa powder if you can.