When I was at Ricky’s the other day, a store associate happened to be passing by while I was studying the ingredients label of the Freeman mask. She said, “Not gonna lie—that mask is awesome.” Something about the way she said it made me believe her (or maybe I just wanted to buy something). Anyway, I ended up purchasing it and using it that very night. Yes, I’m heavily swayed by in-person recommendations from strangers (at least when they appear to be genuine). Today, I’m ready to share my honest review of Freeman Apple Cider Vinegar Mask + Scrub.

Freeman Apple Cider Vinegar Mask + Scrub Ingredients

Like Freeman Mint and Lemon Facial Clay Mask, this mask contains bentonite and kaolin, two types of clay that help remove impurities from your skin. It also includes apple cider vinegar, which is suggested as the mixing liquid for the Aztec Clay Mask. Although I’ve heard a lot of anecdotal advice about using apple cider vinegar to treat acne, when I tried finding any research to support this claim, I came up short. It appears that apple cider vinegar has gotten a lot of great press via word of mouth, but it’s not clear whether or not any of that is rooted in science. It seems like vinegar might be a bit harsh/extreme for some people who have sensitive skin.

Freeman Apple Cider Vinegar Mask + Scrub review

Overall, I thought this was a decent face mask. This is meant to be used as either a mask or a cleanser, but I’m only going to use it as a mask, because it contains pumice. Yes, pumice. As in the pumice stone you use to scrape away dead skin on the soles of your feet. There’s a big difference between your feet and your face. I certainly would never rub my face with a pumice stone. Therefore, I’m more inclined to use this as a mask than a cleanser. I don’t think it’s generally a good idea to physically aggravate active acne breakouts, so you might want to stay away from using this mask when you have a lot of acne. If you use it as a cleanser and actually rub it all over your face, it might be overly irritating since the pumice, bentonite, and kaolin are all physical exfoliators, while the vinegar and citric acid serve as chemical exfoliators. All in all, it may be overexfoliating your skin.

Like Freeman Mint and Lemon Facial Clay Mask, it also contains dyes (red and yellow), which lend it a nice pinkish color, like apple skin. It also smells pretty strongly like apples (and a bit artificial). This mask also contains a few other potentially irritating ingredients, including methylisothiazolinone and methylchloroisothiazolinone, which are preservatives that may cause itchiness, rashes, and dry skin. Read more about these ingredients in my other article here.

Despite all of these potentially problematic ingredients, I didn’t think that this mask was irritating. I left it on for 10 minutes and then rinsed it off. I didn’t like it as much as the Freeman Charcoal and Black Sugar Polish Face Mask, because the texture was a bit too gritty for my liking. But I did feel like it helped tighten up my pores, made my skin feel less oily, and didn’t have any noticeable side effects (no dryness, irritation, or redness).

Verdict: This mask is great for people who love the scent of apples, and want to try out the classic bentonite clay + apple cider vinegar combo without manually mixing those two ingredients together. I think I’ll continue using this mask until I finish the bottle, but after I use it up, I’ll probably opt for the charcoal mask instead, since it has less of a heavy fragrance and is easier to apply (less gritty/rough).

Related reading

• Freeman Face Mask Review: Treat yo’self without going broke
• What is methylisothiazolinone? And methylchloroisothiazolinone?
• Leaders AC Dressing Face Mask Review