I was quite surprised when I opened the jar and saw the near solid clay inside. My usual impression of clay masks is like liquid glue, thicker that liquid but still pourable. Well this had the texture of hard jelly and smelled like rubber.
With some apprehension I rubbed it on my scalp and tried to massage it in. It was a little difficult for me to apply and I ended up using a plastic spoon to scoop out blobs which I then smothered onto my scalp. Once on, it felt nice and relaxing, and was easy to rinse off. It didn't stick to my hair and it didn't harden like a clay face mask would.
In conjunction with the other products it did help reduce the oilyness of my scalp, but I'm not sure if alone it would be sufficient in absorbing all the oil. Another thing is I used about two tablespoons of it in one go, so this jar would only last me 6-7 washes. It'll have to be a once in a while kind of thing rather than every time before I shampoo.
Having never used a pre-shampoo mask before, the issue I had with this product was the lack of instructions on the packaging. I had to look it up online, only because I wanted to be really sure I was using it right. So if you find yourself looking for instructions too, here it is: “On dry hair, before shampooing, apply the mask on the roots section by section making sure to fully cover the entire head. Leave for 5 minutes to absorb excess oil and impurities. Rinse while gently massaging the scalp to ensure all product is washed away. Follow with Extraordinary Clay Shampoo and Conditioner. Suitable for color-treated hair.”
I applied the mask to my roots, covering the entire head and let it do its thing for 5 mins. I must admit it does feel dry and stiff and not all that amazing but for 5mins its no big deal. I thoroughly rinsed it off in the shower, followed by shampoo and conditioning. The scalp felt clean and fresh and I was able to go without hair wash for three days, which is a first for me. I was worried the mask might make my scalp too dry and cause flakes/dandruffs but thankfully it didn’t.
Tips: Use the pre-shampoo mask once or twice a week before wash for fresh, lighter hair/scalp between washes.