Why Beauty Muds Are Making a Comeback in Skin Care

In the days of yore, goddesses like Cleopatra would bask in mud to enhance their natural glow. Then, when everyone became obsessed with cleanliness and antibacterials (like, when they were invented), people avoided dirt and dirty-seeming ingredients.

But those earth-derived elements like charcoals, clays, and muds are back baby! And they're being touted as trusty aids when it comes to beautifying your skin.

"They're like vacuums—great at sucking out impurities," says Mona Gohara, MD, a Danbury, Connecticut-based dermatologist. Basically, if you're acne-prone or your pores are clogged, it's good to slather on the mud, charcoal, and clays to clear out the gunk.

Thankfully, there's no shortage of these earthy beauty products on the shelves to save your pores and get you really clean. Consider these your skin salves, straight from the...well, dirt.

Keep scrolling to shop dirty—but glow-inducing—beauty buys for yourself.

These are some of the best masks to use when you're fighting acne. But is your shower routine making you breakout?