The Best Clay Face Masks For Your Cleanest Skin Ever

Supercharged with salicylic acid and zinc, this clay mask works especially well on those pesky surface-level pimples. Apply it all over after cleansing, or use it as an on-the-spot treatment. It might not boast a spa-style scent (that's my polite way of saying it stinks) but it sure gets the job done.

Omorovicza's Hungarian spa is legendary for its healing waters, which are rich in minerals that ease aches and pains while helping to repair irritated skin.

My personal Friday-night face mask of choice, this one combines those fabled waters with Hungarian mud (again, packed with minerals) and fulvic acid to bring down inflammation. In short, it's a true powerhouse for skin that's playing up.

A great choice for enlarged pores and oily, acne-prone skin, this clay mask contains calming panthenol alongside kaolin and argilla clays. A good choice for angry, irritated skin that panics at the sight of an acid.

Combining chemical and physical exfoliants, Beauty Pie's mask will purify deeply congested pores within minutes. It's boosted with a trio of acids to prevent breakouts and brighten skin, making it one of the more intensive options. It's also black in colour, so if you use your best white flannel to remove it, don't say I didn't warn you.

Scarlett Johansson's beauty venture, The Outset, is a good one to turn to if you struggle with sensitive, reaction-prone skin. The entire line is thoughtfully formulated and gentle enough for acneic skin types – including this deep-clarifying clay mask. Bentonite clay is combined with niacinamide and salicylic acid - the holy trinity for blemish-prone skin – but crucially, the brand's central moisturising extracts are also there to ensure skin isn't left dehydrated.

Tata Harper makes two clay-based masks, but this is the better choice for most skin types, as it calms and balances as it decongests. With skin-food probiotics, clarifying willow bark and calming aloe vera, it's a truly maximalist natural option.

For a serious end-of-week treat, look to Sisley. From the oil-balancing Tropical Resins collection, this heavenly mask combines kaolin with a host of pore-tightening, redness-reducing plant extracts. A stellar choice for very oily skins.

Algenist's creamy clay treatment changes colour with the heat emitted from your skin. But that’s not why you’re buying it (I know, you’re serious about skincare).

No, you’re investing for the advanced probiotics inside, which work to balance the bacteria that make up your microbiome, reducing breakouts and inflammation. Once you’re converted (you will be), there’s a matching moisturiser waiting for you, too.

From The Ordinary's science-heavy big sister, Niod, this jar is one that promises maximalist results. It contains four key ingredients: oil-mopping kaolin clay, azeloyl diglycinate (a cocktail of inflammation-fighting azelaic acid and humectant glycerin) and antioxidants resveratrol and naringenin. It works just as well to neutralise free radicals on the surface as it does clogged pores deeper down, so consider it your post week-in-the-city saviour.

It might not be the sexiest thing you stick on your shelf – and the product name is frankly frightening – but this generously sized tub of kaolin and bentonite is brilliantly effective. It's boosted with AHAs, so you're getting enough exfoliating power to sort congestion, blackheads and rough texture in one.

With a dose of oil-absorbing salicylic acid, this clay mask is made with breakout-prone complexions in mind. The detoxifying kaolin and charcoal are tempered by moisture-grabbing squalane, so it won't throw already temperamental skin off balance.