Karuna Face Mask Review - Clarifying Face Mask

I am a sucker for giveaways. Every time I go somewhere and get a receipt? You better believe I fill out that survey at the bottom. Every time I get an email that I could win a vacation worth $4,000? I click on that link so fast I'm sure I leave flames in my wake. I enter A LOT of giveaways on Instagram, through emails, on Facebook, on Twitter, Youtube, etc. I've won a few different prizes in the last year, and recently I won a prize unlike any I  had won before: a free face mask from the skincare brand Karuna.

This brand might sound familiar to you because you can't walk into a Sephora without seeing the plethora of sheet masks they offer. They're a 99% vegan skincare line that offers: hand masks, eye masks, face masks, serums and more. When I was informed that I had won and I could chose a complimentary face mask, I saw on their FAQ page that they're vegan and quickly picked a mask.

Apparently I was so excited to choose my mask that I missed the little exert about the ONE product in the entire line that isn't vegan because it contains honey. Which mask was that you ask? Well, it happened to be the mask I was wearing, the Clarifying Face Mask. Of course, I discovered this when I was already 10 minutes in the 20 minute treatment letting it sink into my skin.

Now, honey is a grey area for many vegans. Some eat honey, some don't. I chose a little over a year ago to cut out honey from my life. However, already in the process of my magical mask makeover I decided that I was going to review this mask and keep going because gosh darnit, it was too late to turn back. 

Clarifying Face Mask Review 

The packaging it came in was very cute and it all tied together beautifully, from the sticker on the outside that matched the packaging of the mask on the inside.

This mask is meant for Problem/Acne Skin, which is my face right now unfortunately. It is supposed to:

* Clarify clogged pores by deep-cleaning

* Remove excess oil

* Provide oil-free hydration 

Some of the ingredients are:

* Chamomilla Flower Extract - This skincare powerhouse is known to "
helps fade spots, eliminate acne scars and fight breakouts"

* Arctium Lappa Root Extract - Since this was my first time seeing or hearing about this ingredient, I was pleased to find out that it helps with irritated or inflamed skin and also helps to stimulate collagen synthesis.

* Aloe Leaf Juice - While I knew this leaf helped with burns, I had no idea about the beneficial properties for the face since it "contains two hormones: Auxin and Gibberellins. These two hormones provide wound healing and anti-inflammatory properties that reduce skin inflammation."

The directions were very clear and I really liked that they had pictures of an actual person showing you what to do. I've used products before that have come with a one-sentence instruction and you're on your own after that. I've seen videos of sheet masks sometimes being very wet and messy, so I opened mine over the sink and carefully pulled it out. Thank goodness I took precaution because yes, it was very wet and drippy.  It had a very light, nice smell that was slightly botanical.

 (Please excuse my hair. It's been having a moment....every day since I was born.)

Putting the cloth part on my face was not the easiest because of the fact it was so wet parts kept sticking together before I could lay it on my face. When I finally got the mask positioned on my face, pulling off the white backing took a minute because it kept ripping. Instead of it coming off in one swift motion I would pull off a corner, a piece would tear off, then I'd have to start from where it tore, begin pulling, another piece would rip off, etc.

Once I finished pulling off the backing I sat back and set the timer for 20 minutes. It had a wonderful cooling sensation, and after about 10 minutes I noticed a very slight almost itchy sensation in one area of my face, but that went away after only a minute.

 

Immediately after taking it off I noticed how hydrated and plump my skin looked. Much of the redness in my t-zone area was reduced significantly, especially around my nose and mouth. My skin felt so incredibly soft and healthy and had a subtle glow. The directions didn't say to rinse off any excess product after removing the mask, but there was still a lot left, so I gently massaged it in and wiped off the rest with a clean wash cloth.

 I treated the leftover product that I massaged in like a serum and followed with my usual nightly skincare routine of my eye cream, my night cream and my lip treatment. 

Overall Thoughts

This mask retails for $8. That's not the most expensive mask I've seen on the internet by FAR, but for a single use product it isn't the least expensive either. I had a very positive experience and saw results immediately after taking the mask off. The next morning I woke up and my skin looked AMAZING.

However, while gathering facts for this post, I dawned on me that on their FAQ page there was no statement about being cruelty-free. I gulped and got a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach as I emailed them asking the one question to rule them all. I went to bed mentally crossing my fingers and hoping for the best. Unfortunately the next morning I received a statement from them saying that while they don't test their products or any of the ingredients on animals, they sell to China which requires animal testing.

((For anyone who is new to the cruelty-free dilemma - while many companies do not test on animals to sell in the United States, they sell in countries that require them to pay an independent lab to test their products on animals. ))

Some people still consider this cruelty-free because we're purchasing here in the states and not in the country where it is required to test on animals. The belief with this argument is that we are not contributing to the problem. However, my personal belief is that when a company is willing to test on animals when it will help line their pockets, then all they truly care about is money, and that's not a company I wish to give my money to.

Therefore, despite my amazing experience, I will not be purchasing from this company. If they ever change their minds and decide to stop selling in China I will 100% support them, but until then I will look elsewhere for my face masks.