Justine: 2 face masks from South Africa

In South Africa, Justine is the name that is synonymous with Tissue Oil. Justine Tissue Oil was there before Bio-Oil happened and the Justine brand is starting to make waves in the skincare arena in SA. Tissue oil is to South Africans what Windex is to TV Greeks: it is the cure for pretty much everything. I am lucky enough to have a friend who works for the brand and when she comes to visit she always brings me new bits to play with. And a big bottle of tissue oil.

If you can get your hands on the brand it is well worth giving them a try.

Saffer Goodness in mask form.

These two face masks are particularly good. Part of the Essentials Range, Justine Dual-Action Exfoliator and Justine Hydrating Anti-Fatigue Mask are gel based masks meant to hydrate and plump skins ravaged by the cold weather or by the scorching sun. If memory serves they are about ZAR160 each, but they are regularly on special.

L-R Dual-Action Exfoliator, Hydrating Anti-Fatigue Mask

Justine Dual-Action Exfoliator works in 2 ways:
enzymatic - natural glycolic acid (as sucrose, yep good auld sugar, kids)
mechanical - the wee black bits which are hydrogenated jojoba esters.
All in a hydrating gel base that spreads easily on the skin as you massage it in allowing the ingredients to do their job. This is an exfoliator but its not a scrubby exfoliator. It has the scrubby bits, but they are not the main show, they are the extras to the lead, which is the enzymatic action.
Once a week, I massage an almond sized blob into my skin after cleansing, working it around for about a minute, concentrating on my chin, jaw and forehead. Then I rinse it off really well and follow it up with a more moisturising mask.

Justine Hydrating Anti-Fatigue Mask is bloody amazing. Wonderfully cooling and soothing and the gooey gel oozes hydration. Toted for Dry & Dehydrated skins, I think any skin type in need of a hydration boost will like this. Its not heavy, and it isn't cream / oil based. This is a water-based gel mask that is going to plum and calm the skin without inducing the skin to produce more oil. I wouldn't use this on broken skin though... it does sting.

It is difficult to find a decent (ie proper) ingredient listing for any of the Justine, but I managed to get my hands on the official listing after making some enquiries, and the ingredients are great, and wonderfully lacking in mineral oil... which I was worried would be one of the main ingredients:

Justine Essentials Dual-Action Exfoliator Ingredients:
Aqua, Glycerin, Sucrose, Sorbitol, Peg-7 Glyceryl Cocoate , Peg-12 Dimethicone, Methyl Gluceth-20, Sodium Polyacrylate , Dimethicone , Phenoxyethanol , Polyethylene , Parfum, Caprylyl Glycol,
Cyclopentasiloxane , Trideceth-6, Disodium EDTA , Jojoba Esters, PEG/PPG-18/18 Dimethicone, Actinidia Chinensis Fruit Extract.

Justine Essentials Hydrating Anti-Fatigue Ingredients:
Aqua, Glycerin ,Hydroxyethyl Urea, Polysorbate 20, Hydrolyzed Soy Protein, Carbomer, PEG-7 Glyceryl Cocoate , Imidazolidinyl Urea, Parfum , Sodium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA, Malachite Extract, Olivine Extract, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Metabisulfite, Sorbic Acid.

I have had these since September 2014 and I have used them at least once a week and I am only just coming to the end of the tubes now (March 2015). I am trying to eke these out as I am going to be  very sorry when they are completely empty, because I know I am not going to be able to get my hands on them (and the other bits in the essentials range) easily.

If you can get them, try them, one of my favourite moisturisers is the Tissue Oil Face Cream, and I am hoping that either my mom or my bestie will come visit soon so that I can stock up.




**Presents from my Saffer Bestie, Opinions my own.