Garnier Pure Active Charcoal 3 In 1 Mask Review

I first trialled this product as a face mask and as I often do, left it on waaay too long. The instructions say to leave it for 5 minutes and I left it on for about 15. It's safe to say that this made my skin very red and quite irritated, and the granules rubbing against my sore skin did not help. I really would not recommend leaving it on for too long! However, when used properly, it leaves your skin feeling smooth and not irritated, but a little bit tight.

I've been using this as a wash as well in the shower and am aware that it does take a while to see results when it comes to blackheads. Over time I've noticed my skin getting softer, and my pores have reduced a little in size. My breakouts are also less ferocious when they happen.

That being said, I have oily skin that normally isn't easily irritated but I find that the exfoliating particles are just too much. I barely scrub my face at all but found it left my skin looking red and feeling dry and sore if I used the scrub everyday. I cut down use to twice a week and this has helped reduce the dryness, but it's also slowed the rate that I see results.

As I have other face washes that also help minimise blackheads without irritating my skin as much, I will probably not repurchase. That being said, it did definitely help improve my skin and at such an affordable price it is definitely worth giving a try.

I think this product would be a lot less harsh without the exfoliating particles as salicylic acid is already a chemical exfoliator, and the combination of the two is what I think irritated my skin. Overall, still a good product but not right for me.

I have been struggling to find a cleanser that gets rid of my makeup as well as scrubbing my pores for that deeper clean. Previous ones have either made my skin too dry or left my face oily after cleansing (I have oily skin already so its annoying). However, this blew my mind.

The Garnier Pure Active Charcoal 3 in 1 Mask has clay like consistency that it quite messy and gets everywhere (kind of like Fudge Purple Shampoo) but when you put it on your face its amazing. It smells really good. The first thing I noticed was the small scrub particles that weren't too big or too small. They cleaned EVERYTHING out of my face. My forehead had bean prone to rough skin and red pimples but they literally vanished after the first 2 washes. My skin is so clear and healthy, it is the best thing I've ever tried. I used it for 2 weeks daily and have noticed a massive improvement on my skin. Barely ANY pimples, not rough skin, and very smooth. I would still purchase this item even if it was double the price. PLUS you can leave it on for a mask as well. The only downside is the mess it makes from splashes if not contained.

This is a bit of a mixed review for me. And I would like to make it clear from the beginning I am reviewing on behalf of myself and my flatmate (who also tried it out).

For me personally, this mask did not agree with my skin. My skin is temperamental at best; sensitive (sometimes more so than others), it can be dry (especially in these colder months) and it often feels tight after some cleansers (which I hate). This product made my skin redder, felt dry and tight and actually made me break out in the following days. Now this isn't necessarily a bad thing as I am aware charcoal can often draw all the nasties out of the skin (so it may have just been doing that). Needless to say, this product was just not for me!

But seeing as we had a few weeks to trial it, I passed it on to my flatmate who has normal skin (lucky one). And I am happy to report she really liked it! She came rushing out of the bathroom after the first use (as a scrub) all excited about how smooth her skin felt! Even her friends thought so (because she made them feel her face as she was so excited). So for everyday, normal skin with no sensitivities, this product could be great! For anyone with sensitivities or skin on the drier side, give this one a miss.

The other I did not like, but my flatmate did not mind, was the scent. I personally found it a little too fragranced for my liking and it became quite sickly. As I said though, this is more a personal annoyance as my flatmate did not mind it at all.

Would I purchase again? Not for me, no. However, my flatmate quite liked it and might buy it again (provided it was on sale). Thus, I rate it in the middle (I can't rate it lower knowing that my skin likes to hate products).

I found the consistency of this product to be quite thick, in a good way! It provided great coverage, was easy to blend and the exfoliating beads weren’t too rough. It provided a thorough clean and I really felt When used as a face mask it didn’t entirely dry but I did like that, because it meant it was easy to remove. The product was extremely easy to use for all of its three uses; a cleanser, exfoliator and mask. The instructions on the bottle made it very clear how long to use the product for and for what results you wanted to achieve. I also didn't get that '5 o'clock shadow' which i have experienced with other charcoal face products. The fragrance was pleasant, I enjoyed that it didn’t have an overly floral scent like a lot of other products do. Another amazing positive about this product is that it is going to last me FOREVER. You need the smallest pea size amount for any of its three uses; a little goes a very long way. An extremely economical product. The price is one of the many reasons I would repurchase this product or recommend it to others. It’s very reasonably priced, plus, it really saves money given it’s a 3 in 1 and no need to purchase 3 different products. The packaging is nice and simple. The only thing that would make it a little easier to use would be a pump. When you’re all slippery in the shower trying to flip the top of bottles can sometimes be tricky, and given it’s a thick dark product, the current flip-top lid has become a little messy. However, given the consistency of the product I’m unsure whether a pump would be a possibility or not. Initially I did notice my skin began to break out when I started using this product, however after roughly a week all of my spots began to clear and has continued to stay clear with regular use as a cleanser, exfoliator and face mask, following the instructions on the bottle as to how often each should be used. My skin feels great, is very smooth and not dry at all (initially I was hesitant as I felt this could be a drying product). I usually have oily/combination skin, and I feel that if anything this product has made my skin more “normal”. My foundation applies easier and my pores and blackheads on my nose are clearly smaller. I would absolutely recommend this product to anyone having skin troubles, or those who simply want a clearer canvas to apply makeup on to. This product has worked wonders for me and I intend to repurchase when I run out. I’m reluctant to use anything else after seeing how well it has cleared my skin.

The first thing that struck me about the Garnier Pure Active Charcoal 3 In 1 was that it means business. The packaging with its sleek black, blue and red colouring and graphics makes it look more like a prescribed chemist product rather than one you can buy off the supermarket shelf.

I love that it is gender neutral - it is not dressed up with pink colouring and doesn't smell fruity or flowery (smells more earthy) - it's here to do the job, not just sit there looking pretty. Both men and women can feel comfortable purchasing and using it.

The product is black (from the charcoal) and the texture is quite thick and gritty, but not abrasive. You only need a small dollop to wash your face so I can see this bottle lasting a long time - great value for money. The black colouring makes it easy to see if you have washed it off your face (and got out of your nose!), or if you splashed any around the shower (so you can wipe it off - not that I found that it stains).

After using it, it left my skin feeling hydrated and clean, and surprisingly soft. Using it as a mask (once a week) is really easy to use - and also feels my skin feeling clean and soft.

And the best part about this product is it does what it says it will do - I have no blackheads since using it. Hurrah! I would definitely recommend for anyone with oily/combination skin and/or have clogged pores and blackheads.

When i first used this product and saw the charcoal colour, i was a bit worried that it may stain my face. This is obviously not the case. The texture isnt thick like a mask, it actually rubs onto your skin quite easily. The smell of the mask is quite refreshing. You wouldnt think there would be any smell to charcoal, but this has a nice clean refreshing smell to it. Easy to use, just squeeze and place on your face. Scrub for a few seconds, then rinse off. I have used this for the past couple weeks and my skin has felt so much healthier and softer. The scrub from the charcoal definitely gets rid of the blackheads. Whenever i use this, my skin feels cleansed and so soft. Definitely a product i will continue using.

It was exciting to review this product as I have incredible mix of super oily skin around my T-zone and almost-too-dry around my U-zone area. I gave this product a good nearly 3-weeks trial and following is my observation:

Function as wash I personally prefer those extreme bubbles which I move around my cheek - like my hands rarely touch my face for my U-zone. This is so that I minimise the impact of face-rubbing on stressed out days. For T-zone area, I personally prefer to just set the bubbles for like 5-10 secs and then move around to clean off.

As a wash, there was absolutely no bubbles to my personal taste. However, since this washes off my cleaning oil in previous step, I can safely say that even without my bubbles, it does perform as wash as promised.

Function as scrub I personally prefer smaller scrubs that are not too damaging my skin for U-zone but not extremely small so that it’ll get stuck in my massive pores - like the ones that leaves me with blackhead-looking pores on my nose.

As a scrub, this product really hit my sweet spot. It did exactly as I wanted it to work as and I can feel instant smooth skin after the use. Even my husband started noticing my smooth skin so that should tell you that THIS REALLY WORKS.

Function as mask I personally prefer a mask that won’t be too drying (yes, even if it’s a coal one because that’s just not right) but has enough of oil-control elements that will keep my excess oils away.

As a mask, I found this to be really moisturising (yes I know!) yet my oils were controlled. It did what I hoped it to be but it did feel a bit too ‘minty’ for me and my husband and didn’t leave it for too long (or as it was recommended).

Overall, I would use it again because of the wonders it did as a scrub. But will I recommend this to others? Hmmm really depends on what the others like in their skincare. 3 in 1 skincare seems like a great cost-saving wonder but I am not sure if it actually hits all the sweet spot as wash, scrub or mask.

I was honestly a bit worried about the colour of this scrub and if it would stain my face because I’m super pale and the scrub is basically black. But it completely washes off which is a relief ;)

It has a really masculine smell to it which I’m on the fence about.

I found that it has improved my skin tone and helped reduce redness using it as a wash and scrub.

When I tried using it as a mask it made my eyes water badly from the smell or something in it so I didn’t like leaving it on for very long. I definitely prefer it as a scrub or wash!

I have really enjoyed using this product and really like the diversity of it and that it can be used as a wash, exfoliator or mask and it works great as all of these. I have noticed that it has visibly reduced some small blackheads that I had on my chin area and has prevented me from having any breakouts over the time that I have been using it. I have very sensitive combination skin and have been able to use this product without any reaction. I have also noticed my face had dry patches before and these have gone and there has also been a reduction in oiliness. The product has a very fresh smell to it and would be suitable for both men and women. As a wash I found that because it has exfoliating beads in it I felt like I wanted to use it more as an exfoliator. It also works well as a mask and dries quickly. I would highly recommend using this product f you have acne prone or blackhead prone skin and it has been suitable for my sensitive skin also.