Consonant 10% Clay Exfoliating Cleansing Bar Review, Workshops and Contest!

Consonant 10% Clay Exfoliating Cleansing Bar - 90g - $18 - contains 10% Manicouagan Clay from Quebec to gently exfoliate the skin on your face.

Manicouagan clay is very fine making it a gentle, yet effective natural exfoliator that leaves skin feeling softer and smoother than ever before. This mineral rich clay helps to draw out impurities while gently exfoliating. Recommended for use on the face twice a week. The lower concentration of clay makes this bar gentler than the 20% bar which makes it great for the most sensitive skin. But if you want more heft, go with the 20% instead.

I knew that I needed just the right person to test this out for me (my husband has the right skin type but as he continually proves, he is useless at giving me any useful info or feedback about any product) so I turned to my friend Fiona who is a bit of a Consonant fiend as well as being the Youtuber extraordinaire behind Product Wars - you'll especially enjoy this review since you don't have to see or hear her blather on and on for a change - just read it! Anyhow she was totally game to give it a whirl (or at least before she saw this intro she was) and here's what she thought:

"Just to give you little background, I have extremely acne prone skin that's super oily and highly sensitive to a lot of ingredients like benzoyl peroxide, sulphur and sodium chloride. I have been battling acne for years and over-the-counter topical treatments and antibiotics do not work for me. I am constantly on a quest for products that will help decongest clogged pores, reduce my acne, and hyperpigmentation.

I have tried a lot of exfoliators in the past, from drugstore to high end department store brands. I always had to use exfoliators in conjunction with masks to truly get the full benefit of having all the impurities being drawn out. The fact that my skin is highly sensitive to so many products, it means that my pores get clogged really easily and as a result, acne forms. 

With the 10% Clay Exfoliating Bar, it eliminates the need for me to use an exfoliator and a mask. It draws out majority of the impurities, makes my skin feeling extremely soft, and allows for my acne treatments to deeply penetrate my skin and become more effective.

I use it twice a week after I remove all my makeup and when my face is damp. It was odd at first to be rubbing a bar of soap on my face.  Since the soap contains Manicouagan Clay and is meant to be an exfoliator, it does initially feel itchy on your skin. A word of caution: do not rub it on your face too hard or else you will damage your skin. Be gentle. After you rub the soap on your face, you will get a tacky layer of soap on your face. Just take some water and rub in circular motions as if you were using your face wash. Speaking of which...you can skip using your face wash when using this product! Immediately after, you will notice your pores being less clogged and how smooth your face is.

Storing the soap is a bit out of the ordinary. Normally exfoliators come in a squeeze tube or jar. Instead, this is a bar of soap. Each box comes with a small sponge. I suggest that you place the sponge in a container then the soap on top of that right after you finish using it and in a dry location. This ensure that minimal product is lost after use. One time I put the soap outside of my bath tub. BIG MISTAKE!  Because the soap was still wet, it got tacky and stuck to edge of my bath tub. Don't use a wet sponge to remove the remnants of soap that got stuck to the bath tub or else you will create suds and water will run down your tub.  Instead, take your current bath towel that's a bit damp and just wipe the edge.

I am a huge fan of Consonant because their products are organic and don't irritate my sensitive skin. This product isn't any different. Even though it contains oil, it has not clogged or irritated my skin and I've been using this for 3 months. Initially I thought that this would be too abrasive for my skin; it is if you use it everyday. That's why they recommend it be used twice a week. It does everything I ever wanted in an exfoliator and more. What it really is, is a 3-in-1 product: exfoliator, mask, and face wash.

Still not sure if I like it? Let's just say, I will forever be stocking up on this product!"

And since Fiona loves this product so much, we wanted to give 5 readers a chance to try it out for themselves!

This contest is open to all our Canadian followers and it's very easy to enter, just leave a comment letting us know that you follow through Google Friend Connect or Facebook Networked Blogs (if you aren't a follower you can do that now - sign up buttons are in the right sidebar).

1 entry for following and answering the question - What do you usually use to exfoliate?  Please also leave your e-mail so we can find you if you win! 

And for extra entries: 

Follow @BeautyCrazedCan on Twitter and tweet the contest.
Follow @ConsonantBody on Twitter and tweet the contest.

If you prefer not to leave your info on a public post, please leave a post saying you want to enter with your answer to the question and then e-mail your info to info@beautycrazed.ca, please put "Consonant Contest" in the subject line. Remember to leave the post or you name won't actually end up in the draw! Winners to be decided by random drawing and you have until April 27th to enter. Good Luck! 

And while you are waiting to see if you won sign up for one of the skincare seminars that Consonant is hosting, details as follows:

Participants will be joined by experts Marina Cortese (B.Kin, RHN, NNCP) and Donna Bishop (Editor-in-Chief, Bamboo Magazine, Natural Beauty Expert on Marilyn Denis Show) for an evening of education and discussion. The seminars will take place at the flagship location at 2479 Yonge St. and include refreshments and a take-home package full of product, great tips and helpful facts from the experts.

“Beautiful Skin Throughout & After Pregnancy” seminar: Monday, May 7 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. - FREE

Topics will include:

• Important nutrients before, during and after pregnancy
• Healthy weight gain during pregnancy and weight loss post-pregnancy
• Healthy eating for healthy skin
• Key things to look for on personal care product labels for you and baby
• Makeup tips to enhance your beauty in two minutes or less, and much more

“Radiant Summer Skin” seminar: Monday, May 14 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. – FREE

Topics will include:

• Beyond basic salads – healthy and delicious meal ideas to keep you looking fit and fabulous all summer
• Healthy eating for healthy skin
• Summer skin protection; sunblock vs. sunscreen
• How to get a healthy summer glow
• Summer makeup demos, and much more

Call 416-925-2855 to RSVP

- Lisamarie -