I thought we’d continue our Earl Grey theme today with this simple clay face mask that helps brighten the complexion and fade hyper-pigmentation left behind by healing acne. It’s made from just a few simple ingredients that you almost certainly already have, comes together in a flash, and is a rather pleasant way to pamper oneself in the midst of a stubbornly persistent second winter.
This mask is a bit of a twist on the popular bentonite clay + apple cider vinegar mask that’s commonly recommended to fade those irksome marks left behind by blemishes. On my skin those marks are red and definitely stick out on my pale complexion. I’m always on board anything I can do to encourage them to fade faster!
Anywho, I decided to adopt this riff on the classic into our Earl Grey theme, this time with the use of actual Earl Grey tea. The ingredient list on this one is super short and super crunchy, which I’m sure many of you will appreciate 🙂 It’s a single-use serving size, so if you want to mask with a buddy, double the recipe.
Our liquid is a simple blend of just-brewed Earl Grey tea and lemon juice. I loved how the hot tea warmed up the entire mask so it wasn’t cold for application, and the light bergamotty tea scent was lovely. Topical tea application is also said to be anti-inflammatory and may help reduce sebum production.
Lemon juice helps brighten the complexion in partnership with the bentonite clay, and helps counter the high pH (~9) of bentonite clay. Earl Grey tea is also often served with a bit of lemon, so I thought it also worked in nicely with our theme!
Bentonite clay is very unique in the world of cosmetic clays; it is far more absorbent than clays like kaolin or illite (French clays are typically illite). When hydrated, bentonite transforms into a really neat gel-like consistency, which is quite different from the more frosting-like pastes you’ll get from kaolin or illite. I find bentonite to be more absorbent on the skin than kaolin and illite, and after I mask with it any spots of hyper-pigmentation have noticeably faded by the following morning. Removing the mask also offers some physical exfoliation—do be gentle, though! Make sure you follow your masking up with your favourite facial lotion to help re-hydrate the skin.
Also, stay tuned for a bentonite-focussed interview with a clay expert that debunks quite a lot of common bentonite “facts”!
Earl Grey Face Mask
1 mug of freshly brewed, hot Earl Grey tea
5g | ~1 tsp fresh lemon juice
6g | 0.21oz bentonite clay
Kick things off by brewing yourself up a hot cup of Earl Grey tea. Before you add anything to it (if that’s how you like your tea), spoon out 10g/0.35oz (roughly 2 tsp) into a small dish. The rest of the tea is now yours for the drinking!
Add the lemon juice to the tea in the small dish, and then begin slowly whisking in the bentonite clay to form a paste. I used 6g, but don’t feel too tied to that measurement; stop adding clay when you’ve got a thick, creamy paste.
Leave the mixture to sit for 3–5 minutes, and stir again before applying to the face (I find leaving it to sit for a while helps the clumps to soften, so further whisking is more effective).
Once you’ve been thoroughly schmeared up like a bagel, leave the mask to dry for around twenty minutes (that’s a good time to drink that mug of tea!) before rinsing it off with a warm, wet washcloth. I like to do this in the shower so I can be sure I’m sending lots of water down the drain with the clay, reducing the risk of build up over time. Finish up with your favourite facial lotion.
Shelf Life & Storage
Because this mask is absolutely loaded with delicious bug food it must be made in single use batches and used immediately. No amount of preservatives will make it safe to store! This recipe makes enough for one mask.
Substitutions
I don’t recommend making any substitutions in this recipe. You could use a different brewed tea or just warm water if you don’t have Earl Grey, and you could use apple cider vinegar instead of the lemon juice, but in a recipe with only three ingredients and changes are large ones. Do not use a different clay—the basic nature of bentonite counters the acidity of the lemon juice, and bentonite’s unique gelling/absorption abilities are important to the ratios and the consistency of the final product.
I love that you post yourself using the face mask. Love your blogs and videos. Eager to try this.
Thanks, Marie! I once shared a mask without the silly photos and people missed them 😛
Nice to see you getting into a bit of roots formulating, Marie! Looks lovely.
Thanks, Lise! It was fun to whip up something simple—I have been playing a lot with more complicated things lately 😛
Mmm… I love anything citrus on my skin! I hear the last of my Bentonite Clay calling my name for this recipe! Thanks!
The legendary “last of my bentonite clay”! I didn’t think that was even possible lol. I don’t think I’ve even made a dent in my bag after years haha.
Soap.
Try making soap with oodles of bentonite clay. Talk about amazing shave soap!!! I love lots of Kaolin clay in soaps because it is cheap, but bentonite clay in my soap…. wow!
Hmmmm oooooooh.
Thanks for the recipe! I just made and used this and I have to say my skin does look brighter! And it was so easy to make. Plus it was nice to relax with a cup of tea while it dried. Although the bentonite tightened up after several minutes to the point where I couldn’t open my mouth 😉
For some reason when I make homemade masks I always end up making a bigger batch than I mean to, so I’m going to try storing the leftovers in the fridge (I’ve had good luck with this in the past; my masks usually last for a week or so in the fridge).
Yay! I’m always so delighted with how this simple combination of ingredients perks up my complexion 🙂 I’ve had luck with pressing clingfilm down on the surface of the mask and keeping it in the fridge for a few days—just be sure to let it warm up a bit before applying, it’s pretty uncomfortable right out of the fridge!
Oh yes, I have made that mistake before! In the middle of the summer it’s lovely to put on a fridge-temperature mask–not so much in Feb 😉
Attack of the cold face pudding! 😛
This mask sounds awesome! I love all your other mask recipes, but getting the ingredients is quite expensive, so when I found this one it was great because all I had to buy was the bentonite clay, thank you 🙂
Woo! I hope you like it 🙂 I’ve been trying to make a point of publishing something simple at least once a month so there’s always something relatively new that’s pretty accessible!
I love the bergamot scent of Earl Grey tea so this was definitely a fun face mask to make! I got to make this with one of my best friends last night and she said that our complexions post-mask definitely looked brighter! I also love how simple this was to make; it’s easy to whip up whenever you feel like pampering yourself!
Thanks so much, Charlotte! 😀 Happy pampering!