Flashy new skincare launches are a dime a dozen these days, so there's something extra satisfying about coming across a trusted product that's been around forever, one that looks like it's been sitting in an esthetician's office since the 1980s (in a good way). My latest favorite old-school beauty discovery is Mario Badescu’s Super Collagen Mask, a product that Martha Stewart has sworn by for years.
Mario Badescu is one of the first brands I came across when I began exploring skincare in my teens. Its iconic Drying Lotion saved me during countless breakouts, and the Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rose Water (also a Martha fave) was the first facial mist I ever used. But, while I've tried many a clay mask in my years as a beauty editor, the Super Collagen Mask somehow passed me by. Now that I’ve gotten acquainted with it, I completely understand why Martha is a fan.
Brand Lore and Philosophy
Before delving into the skin-tightening results of this mask, allow me to delve into some brand lore. Founded in 1967 by Romanian-born chemist and facialist Mario Badescu, the company began as a small Manhattan spa known for its no-fuss European facials and custom-mixed masks. However, it quickly garnered a cult following that, over the years, grew to include celebs like Stewart, Cher, Jennifer Aniston and Sarah Jessica Parker. Supermodel Naomi Campbell famously credited Mario Badescu with "making my face."
Badescu himself passed away in 1983, but his simple yet effective skincare philosophy - and many of his original formulas, including the Super Collagen Mask - have barely changed since. Many of the ingredients are the tried and true, no-nonsense kind you see in other legacy skincare, which I always appreciate.
Key Ingredients and Their Benefits
This high-quality mask's kaolin-clay base helps draw out impurities without stripping moisture, while ingredients like collagen and red algae extract leave your skin feeling firm and smooth.
Water (Aqua/H2O)
Good old water, aka H2O. The most common skincare ingredient of all. The water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized, meaning that almost all of the mineral ions inside it have been removed.
Kaolin
Kaolin is a type of clay, a naturally occurring hydrous aluminum silicate. Unlike bentonite clay, kaolin is a fine, white powder. As a clay, it's absorbent and can suck up excess sebum and gunk from your skin, but less so than more aggressive clays.
Soluble Collagen
Soluble Collagen refers to the large, natural collagen molecules mostly extracted from fish or bovine skin. While spotting collagen on the ingredient list might suggest it supplements your skin's collagen, it's important to know that collagen is a huge molecule that cannot absorb into the middle layer of the skin where collagen resides. Even if it could, it cannot magically go to the right places to become part of the skin's own collagen network. Putting collagen on your skin for anti-aging purposes is like throwing tent poles onto a ramshackle tent and expecting the tent to magically become nice and firm again. The strong point of collagen is its capacity as a large molecule with tremendous water-binding ability, making it an amazing humectant and moisturizer.
Oat Extract (Avena Sativa Kernel Extract)
A finely powdered form of Oat Extract that offers skin-soothing, skin-protecting, and antioxidant benefits. It is loaded with skin-goodies such as the anti-inflammatory agent beta-glucan, skin-nourishing lipids, and moisturizing carbohydrates.
Red Algae Extract
The extract of red seaweed offers nice film-forming, skin-smoothing, and moisturizing properties. Thanks to its biomimetic properties between skin proteins and carrageenans, it has a very long-lasting action and can form a "second skin." It also provides a "slow-release" effect for oil-loving active ingredients and measurably reduces trans-epidermal water loss, which effectively means it moisturizes the skin.
Other Notable Ingredients
- Talc: A clay mineral (hydrated magnesium silicate) mined in several countries, it is the major component of most powder makeup products. It is absorbent and can suck up excess sebum and gunk from your skin.
- Glycerin: A sweet-tasting sugar substitute that helps your skin hold onto water when used in cosmetic products.
- Zinc Oxide: A physical/inorganic sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection (UVB and UVA II, less effective at UVA I). It is highly stable, non-irritating, and also counts as a skin protectant and anti-irritant. A disadvantage is that it can leave a whitish tint on the skin. Research indicates that sunscreen nanoparticles are not absorbed but remain on the surface of the skin.
- Cellulose Gum: A cellulose derivative used as an emulsion stabilizer and thickener.
- Sodium Chloride: The fancy name for salt, which acts as a fantastic thickener in cleansing formulas created with ionic cleansing agents. It also works as an emulsion stabilizer in water-in-oil emulsions.
- Fragrance: Nice-smelling compounds added to cosmetic products. However, for those who prefer to know exactly what they are putting on their face or have sensitive skin, fragrance can be a concern as it is a common cause of contact allergy to cosmetics.
- Methylparaben: A common paraben. While controversial, research suggests that when exposed to sunlight, MP-treated skin cells suffered more harm than non-MP treated skin cells. Using a good sunscreen alongside MP-containing products is advisable.
- Phenoxyethanol: A widely used preservative known for its safety and gentleness. It has good thermal stability and works across a range of pH levels. It is often used with ethylhexylglycerin to improve preservative activity.
- Citric Acid: An AHA derived from citrus fruits, though studies suggest it has less skin-improving properties compared to glycolic or lactic acid.
- CI 42090 (Blue 1) & CI 19140 (Tartrazine): Common synthetic colorants used in beauty, food, and medicine. The FDA notes that allergic-type reactions to color additives are possible but rare.
Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask Reviews
The mask that Martha Stewart loves, I do too! It made my skin look brighter and feel firmer, while tightening up my pores.
This humble, little white tub might not be the most glamorous face mask on your vanity, but it left my skin firmer, my pores appearing smaller, and I had a nice glow that usually only happens after a professional treatment. Give a dry or dull complexion a boost with Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask. Used two-to-three times a week, this mask helps promote a smoother, more youthful complexion.
Pros
- Brightens and smooths skin
- Draws out impurities
- Tightens the appearance of pores
- More affordable than other high-end clay masks
Cons
- Has added fragrance, which could irritate sensitive skin
- Might feel too drying for some skin types
Personal Experience and Application
While testing this mask, I applied a thin layer of the product to freshly-cleansed skin using a brush. Then I let it sit for 20 minutes. As I scrolled through Instagram to pass the time, I felt the mask tighten on my face, though it never became uncomfortable. Once the mask was dry and set, I rinsed it off with lukewarm water. Afterward, my skin was softer, smoother, and visibly brighter. I have combination skin, but my face didn't feel stripped or overly dry, which can sometimes happen with clay-based masks.
I loved how this mask quickly tightened my skin and minimized my pores, but I didn't love the added fragrance.
Potential Improvements and Modernization
I love an old-school product, but there are definitely ingredients in Mario Badescu’s Super Collagen Mask that a more modern formula would skip, like a few old-school preservatives and dyes, as well as added fragrance. And, while I appreciate the no-frills aesthetic, I do wish the jar packaging felt a tad more luxe, or at least came with a little spatula (applying it with just your fingers can get messy, especially because I have long nails).
Still, for a $20 mask that made my skin look like I’ve just had a facial, I can’t complain too much. I also respect that the brand hasn't seemed to have updated the formula after all these years, though, I do wonder how a modern version might improve upon the original. I'd love to see a version of this mask without the added fragrance that uses natural ingredients or dyes for the blue-green tint, such as blue tansy or spirulina. (Similar to how Embryolisse has a fragrance-free, "sensitive" option for its Lait-Crème Concentré, which I reviewed here.)
Super Collagen Mask | Mario Badescu
Final Verdict
The Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask lives up to its Martha Stewart hype. With its humble, little white tub, it might not be the most glamorous face mask on your vanity, but it left my skin firmer, my pores appearing smaller, and I had a nice glow that usually only happens after a professional treatment.
Mario Badescu Super Collagen Mask is one of the brand’s first formulas and remains a time-tested favorite. Including kaolin, the mask is enriched with collagen to help smooth the appearance of fine lines, revealing smoother, younger-looking skin. A thin layer smoothed over the face gets to work in just twenty minutes. As well as forming a part of a regular skincare routine, the mask is also popular with frequent flyers.
Safety Warning: Keep container closed when not in use to avoid contamination. Avoid contact with eyes.