10 best clay face masks that clear pores, prevent breakouts and brighten skin

Kiehl’s’ ethically sourced Amazonian white clay mask goes on thin and creamy and, while you can feel it hardening, isn’t super drying. Unlike some, we didn't experience any irritation or discomfort around sensitive patches and it isn't overly tightening either; once on, it's easy to forget you're wearing it. The results are noticeably clearer pores, particularly around the nose, and skin that is smoother to the touch.

This mask is all about exfoliating, and it’s ideal for oily or combination skin. As well as the all-important kaolin, it contains nourishing macadamia and jojoba oils, and aloe to soothe and hydrate. Eucalyptus, tree tree oil and aloe reduce inflammation and have antiseptic properties, making it perfect for breakout-prone skin.

This is a brilliant choice for those who are breakout-prone and need a mask for regular use to keep sebum levels regulated. It’s gentle, with softening, soothing ingredients such as aloe vera and manuka honey, absorbs excess oil, and is more affordable than other options in our round-up. We’d recommend it for teens too.

Sand & Sky is an Australian brand that makes use of the country’s vast natural resources in its formulations, including Australian pink clay to draw out impurities. Liquorice helps stimulate cell turnover and aloe vera soothes. The result is clearer and visibly brighter skin after just one use.

GlamGlow has a huge range of mud masks, all riffing on the classic “supermud”, which has been a cult product for many years. It contains pore-cleaning charcoal and clay, plus six exfoliating acids to slough away dead skin cells and other debris that clogs skin and leads to dullness. We love this for oily skin types or areas.

We’ve yet to meet a product from the Austrian spa brand that we didn’t like, including this gentle but effective blend of kaolin, light, nourishing and vitamin E-rich corn oil and soothing cucumber, which helps balance out any irritation from the clay. This is a great choice for dry skins, as it leaves your face feeling buttery soft.

When it comes to mud, Omorovicza, which hails from Hungary with its famous thermal baths, is a reliable choice. Its deep cleansing mask contains water and mineral muds from Lake Héviz and is rich in magnesium, calcium, zinc and copper. Our tester found it left skin smooth and plump as well as cleared, rather than stripping moisture. It also made for an effective overnight spot treatment when applied topically.

This is a favourite for a pre-event pep-up: it leaves skin soft and radiant after just five minutes, and acts as a perfect make-up base. It contains red clay to clarify and absorb oil, as well as rosemary and chamomile oils and carrot and rosehip extracts, which impart a beautiful glow. Skin is left toned and bright, and we found it considerably reduced redness.

This, from the “queen of green” Tata Harper, combines kaolin clay with AHAs (water soluble acids) to slough away dead skin, refining salicylic acid to decongest and hydrating chlorella to soothe. Skin is softer, brighter and more elastic, and pores appear clearer and smaller after use. If your skin isn’t used to acid exfoliation, go easy at first and apply once a week.

We are absolute suckers for Aesop’s oh-so-chic packaging and how it looks on our bathroom shelf, but we also love this delicious-smelling formula. Kaolin does the pore-clearing work, while aloe vera stops skin leaving tight, and rosehip and parsley seed extracts deliver antioxidants to help protect your skin against environmental factors.