May Lindstrom the honey mud review

I have been a huge May Lindstrom fan ever since she launched on Spirit Beauty lounge. The clean dirt still has a special place in my beauty cabinet three years after I got my very first bottle. Last autumn I was so excited about the two new products being added to the line that I pre-ordered them from May's website.

Only about eight months later I am finally ready to do my review of the honey mud (well at least you can't say they I don't test my products thoroughly). To be perfectly honest I was ready to do this quiet some time ago, however I did want to see how it performs in different weather and so on. Without further delay, here are my thoughts.

 After looking at the ingredients list I was a little apprehensive due to the fact that one of them was colloidal silver. I decided to shoot May an email and received a very prompt reply. You might be familiar with Argyria (a condition that causes a blue tint to the skin due to excessive consumption of silver), and the fact that it is irreversible, the reason why it happens is that our bodies can not get rid of silver, and it just accumulates. The cases that got media attention were due to internal consumption, but there are a few cases of localised argyria from silver acupuncture needles penetrating the skin. The point being we are talking prolonged use, huge quantities, and not from topical application of products. While I did suspect that my unease might be a bit of an overreaction, I still had the image of smurfette at the back of my mind, hence the e-mail to May. Obviously after talking to her I decided to go ahead and get the honey mud.

If I lived in America I would only order from May directly, her packages come so beautifully presented, and there is always a card. As usual with her products it comes in a beautiful miron glass jar (miron offers greater protection from UV light), you get 100 ml worth of product.

The honey mud smells absolutely incredible, like creme brulee, I have to remind myself that it is skincare and under no circumstances should I eat it (my wallet would not thank me). The cleanser itself is quiet dense, but the consistency is very smooth, if you use it over damp skin it just glides. You can use it both as a daily cleanser or a treatment mask.

Initially I was using it solely as a cleanser. You only need a little bit, massaged over damp skin, and then rinsed off. I don't always get on with cream cleansers, so this is a great alternative for me. It leaves skin very soft and soothed. I do feel that it is best to go over with a toner afterwords, to make sure all of the cleanser has come of, alternatively I have been using in a conjunction with the Konjac sponge, and the two work brilliantly together (no need for toner if you removing honey mud with the sponge).

As I wanted to stretch out the contents of my jar as long as possible, I only recently started using it as a mask. Now that it is no longer my daily cleanser, I feel that it is ok to apply it a bit more liberally, which is required if you want the benefit of a treatment mask. I spread it over dry skin, and after about 10 minutes wash it off in the shower. This way I find that it also gives my skin a little protection from hot water at the same time. I have to say I've been missing out, honey mud makes an exceptionally good mask. As the ingredients suggest, you get the benefits from both clay and honey, which means thorowlly clean, detoxed skin, that is also soft and hydrated.

Now, May Lindstrom makes luxury products, and I am not going to pretend that they are anything else. They are expensive, which is reflected in the top quality packaging, ingredients and presentation of the products. You get a full on sensory, aromapheraputic experience as well as skincare in her products. The honey mud in particular is something that I look forward to using (very important for me, as to this day I find it difficult to stick to a skincare routine). Personally I find that it is worth the price tag, and you can absolutely make this jar last. By my calculations if you use it every day as a cleanser it should last about 4-5 months. However if you are more careful, and alternate it with other cleansers or use it as a weekly mask it could last much longer. I have been alternating mine as a cleanser for 3-4 month, and then using it as a mask every other week for the rest of the time, and I have just under half a pot left after about 7-8 months.

To the most important question, will I be buying honey mud again? Without hesitation Yes! This is a great cleanser for my combo skin during colder weather, gentle yet very thorough. As my skin gets a bit more oily during warmer months, I do feel that it needs a different approach, and in the summer this makes a perfect mask.