I love, love, love a good facial mask and scrubs, so when I saw that Freeman had a charcoal + black sugar facial polishing mask ($3.99), I had to pick it up. I’ve used Freeman products for years (I own 4 other masks/scrubs by them) so I always look for new products from them. I’ve long known the benefits of activated charcoal (it pulls out toxins and helps brighten skin), and regular exfoliation is a key component in keeping your skin healthy and clear, so to try it out in a product that does double duty, I was excited.

I’ve been using this scrub alternately with my normal cleanser and Clarisonic for about 6 weeks and I love the way it makes my skin feel. The first time I used it, I applied it as instructed, like a mask. It didn’t really do anything besides sit on my skin, so now I just use it as a scrub. The black sugar is an effective but not too harsh exfoliant, and as it dissolves, it warms up a bit and your skin feels really soft and smooth once you rinse it off. Like most sugar scrubs there’s an oil component, so unless you decide to use a toner following application, you won’t really have to apply any moisturizer (unless it’s sunscreen).

Technically it’s safe for all skin types, however I would advise anyone with sensitive skin to do a small patch test first. I have tough, combination skin but because of the heating component, it may be too much for you.

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