SKINCARE | Dr. Roebuck's Tama Healing Mask

Two years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Kim and Zoe Roebuck in a one-on-one session and you would never know that these twin sisters were in charge of a cult clean beauty brand.  Talk about Aussie down-to-earthness, these girls know exactly what is going on with their products and I felt confident that Dr. Roebuck's products were going to be a good addition to my skincare routine. Now, you know that I am super slow with my skincare reviews and I only got the chance to use their eye cream until this year when Dr. Roebuck's completely re-branded and came out with Instagram-worthy product packaging! 

PR sample

Though I am certainly more partial to sheet masks, I also have quite the collection of potted and squeeze out masks and because of how they are stored, are more potent than sheet masks. Over the years, I have gotten more selective about what I use and while I started off my skincare journey with hydrating masks, I find that I prefer using masks for when my skin is acting up or looks dull as I tend to opt for facial oils or oil-based facial serums if my skin needs an extra boost of moisture.

My heart skipped a bit when I saw the Tama Healing Mask* though as this mask features turmeric, manuka honey and avocado oil aimed at revitalizing and renewing tired, dry and aging skin. This mask is for all skin types and also is the colour of the Tamarama Beach in Australia (all of the products have an Aussie connection!) which made using this mask extra fun!   

I was pretty much sold on turmeric because it's one of my most favourite things to detox with as it is both anti-inflammatory and antibacterial. I love turmeric infused tea and fresh juice with it mixed in as it reminds me a bit of a having a "wasabi buzz" and really clears your brain! When I looked at the full ingredients list, at times I felt like I was reading a recipe because a lot of the ingredients just sounded YUMMY, but the featured ingredients like avocado oil and honey were well in the first half of the list with turmeric being close to the bottom which makes me wonder about how much is really required topically since even for drinking purposes, the recommended does is only one teaspoon per day.

There are also a host of other fun ingredients native to Australia like the antibacterial Santalum Acuminatum Fruit Extract, Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract (desert lime) and the antioxidant shrub Acacia Victoriae Fruit Extract. I thought it was quite nice to see local Aussie ingredients in their skincare! Kind of like putting maple syrup in ours ;-)

Ingredients: Water/Aqua, Kaolin, Quartz, Glycerin, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Cetearyl Glucoside, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Cetearyl Olivate, Sorbitan Olivate, Dehydroacetic Acid, Benzyl Alcohol, Honey, Tocopheryl Acetate, Camelina Sativa Seed Oil (anti-inflammatory), Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Santalum Acuminatum Fruit Extract (antibacterial), Citrus Glauca Fruit Extract (desert lime), Acacia Victoriae Fruit Extract (antioxidant), Glycerin, Alcohol, Curcuma Longa Rhizome Extract (turmeric), Cymbopogon flexuosus (Lemon Grass) Oil

The mask itself does lend itself to some product separation because of the high oil content so I tend to squeeze out what I need into a little mixing bowl so that I can get an even consistency. The mask is super smooth to apply even though there is kaolin in the formulation and even smells a little like food! The mask tingles for the first minute or so, but the sensation goes away without much fanfare and by the time 20 minutes has rolled around, it will be time to wash it all off with warm water. Since there is a clay aspect to the mask, it does dry, but you will not be scrubbing it off like other clay masks. I would also NOT use a WHITE face cloth, like my husband did, to remove it as it will stay orange for a bit! Thankfully your skin doesn't turn orange too! I use either my hands in the shower or those round exfoliating sponges.

Final verdict: You know who this mask really worked for? My husband with his post-shave irritated skin and breakouts! Though we both have been using the mask, for me the mask's effects are more subtle because of my skin type with my skin just looking brighter and my overall skin tone looking more even. My husband used this mask as a spot treatment and found that his breakouts had dried up in the morning and were not angry and raised. What I like is that while this mask isn't aggressive, the combination of ingredients seems effective for skin types like my husband. I have yet to have a breakout to try this on (I know, don't hate me), but if you are looking for a natural "maintenance mask" that you can use 2-3x a week just to keep dull skin at bay, this very affordable $35 mask with yummy ingredients is a fantastic option!

You can find Dr. Roebuck's at Murale and the Shoppers Beauty Boutique online.