Introduction
Lush is one of those high street darlings whose scented clouds and hand pressed products have turned casual browsers into loyal devotees since the nineties. The brand’s ethics driven formulas and playful personality have earned it a near legendary status in the natural beauty space, and its legion of fans will gladly tell you why.
Enter Prince Of Darkness, a charcoal clay mask with a name that sounds more like an underground band than a skincare step. According to Lush it is a self preserving blend of charcoal, fuller’s earth, kaolin and sea salt designed to lift oil, smooth texture and leave skin looking bright yet comfortably matte. The mask even makes a cameo in the Lush Spa’s Validation facial, which hints at spa level performance in a fridge fresh pot.
Curious to see if this midnight hued mix lives up to its gothic swagger I cleared my calendar for a full two weeks of testing, using the mask every few days to see how my combination skin responded and whether the experience justifies a place in your routine and your budget.
What is Prince Of Darkness?
Prince Of Darkness is a clarifying charcoal clay mask that belongs to the wash off mask category of skincare. Wash off masks are applied to clean skin, left on for a short period, then rinsed away, making them a quick add-on for a weekly deep cleanse. They are valued for delivering a concentrated hit of actives without staying on the skin long enough to cause irritation.
This particular formula relies on absorbent clays and powdered charcoal to mop up excess oil and debris, while fine sea salt offers light physical exfoliation once you massage it off. Glycerine is included to counter the drying edge of the clays with some surface level hydration. The mask is self preserving which means it is designed to remain stable and safe without synthetic preservatives, provided you keep it in the fridge and finish the pot within 28 days.
Lush positions the mask as ideal for oil prone or combination skin types that need a deeper cleanse but still want the complexion to feel comfortable after rinsing. The ten minute wait time and rinse off format makes it an occasional treatment rather than a daily staple, roughly two or three times a week depending on your skin’s tolerance.
Did it work?
In the name of science I pressed pause on my usual wash off mask for a few days before starting this test so my skin could settle into a neutral baseline. Fourteen days felt like a fair window to judge results without sliding into honeymoon bias or impatience.
I chose an every third evening cadence, smoothing on a grape sized amount after cleansing and letting it sit while I scrolled the news for ten minutes. The first rinse left my T zone satisfyingly matte yet not tight, and the salt crystals gave a gentle polish that made serums glide on more evenly. By the next morning that fresh clarity had dulled a touch but oil levels were still more controlled than usual.
Midway through the fortnight the mask’s detox promise peaked. Congestion along my chin looked flatter, and blackheads at the sides of my nose released more easily with a warm cloth. I did not experience any stinging, flaking or rebound oil which speaks to the glycerine doing its cushioning job.
By day fourteen I noticed the returns had started to plateau. While each use still delivered an instant smoothness it did not compound into the lit from within effect I get from clay formulas laced with chemical exfoliants. My cheeks, which run normal to dry, felt a little parched if I skipped a richer moisturiser after rinsing.
So did Prince Of Darkness live up to the hype? It certainly clarified, mopped up shine and left skin photo ready for a day or so, but it stopped short of the transformative glow I was hoping for. I will probably finish the pot on before event evenings rather than slot it into my permanent rotation, yet I can see oily skin types keeping it on standby for quick rescue missions.
Main ingredients explained
The backbone of Prince Of Darkness is a trio of oil-hungry powders: kaolin, fuller’s earth and powdered charcoal. Kaolin is a gentle white clay that lifts surface grime without aggressively stripping natural lipids, while fuller’s earth brings a stronger pulling action that makes the mask feel so instantly matte. Charcoal’s porous structure adds extra absorption, acting like a tiny magnet for pollutants and oxidised sebum. None of these minerals are considered comedogenic, meaning they are unlikely to block pores, so breakout-prone skin can breathe a little easier.
To stop the clays from crossing the line into that chalky tightness, Lush folds in a generous dose of vegetable glycerine. Glycerine is a classic humectant that reads the room’s humidity and draws water into the upper layers of skin, giving a quick hit of softness once you rinse. Because it is water soluble and highly skin-compatible it also carries a comedogenic rating of zero, making it a safe bet for most skin types.
Fine sea salt makes a brief but important appearance during rinse-off. As you massage the mask away the crystals dissolve into a mild brine, lending a subtle mechanical scrub and a trace of mineral content. If your barrier is already sensitised you will feel the grains, so resist the urge to over-buff.
The scent profile comes from labdanum and benzoin resinoids plus patchouli and lavender essential oils. Beyond smelling like a gothic apothecary, these aromatics have mild astringent and soothing reputations. They also introduce naturally occurring fragrance allergens such as limonene, linalool, geraniol and citral. If you react to perfume in skincare patch test first. On the comedogenic scale, patchouli oil sits in the low-to-moderate range so it should not be a deal breaker unless you are extraordinarily clog-prone.
Because the formula is free of animal by-products it is suitable for vegans and vegetarians. It is also self preserving, meaning it stays microbiologically safe without added synthetic preservatives as long as you store it chilled and respect the 28-day window.
One last note for expectant parents: while none of these ingredients are known systemic no-go zones, the presence of essential oils means caution is wise. Always clear new topicals with your medical professional during pregnancy or breastfeeding.
What I liked/didn’t like
Here is a quick rundown of the high points and the caveats I noticed during testing.
What works well:
- Leaves skin instantly matte yet comfortable, with oil control that lingers into the next day
- Fine sea salt adds a gentle buff that smooths texture and helps subsequent products spread evenly
- Vegan self-preserving formula appeals to those seeking minimal additives and ethical sourcing
What to consider:
- Benefits tend to plateau after several uses so it may function best as an occasional reset rather than a weekly staple
- Requires a ten minute sit time and thorough rinse which can feel fiddly compared with swipe-on leave-ons
- Fresh shelf life and mandatory refrigeration may not suit anyone who masks only sporadically
My final thoughts
Prince Of Darkness did exactly what it promised on the oil control front and delivered a photo ready finish after each session, but it never crossed into life changing territory for my combination skin. After two weeks of regular use I landed on a solid 7/10: good, reliable and definitely fun to crack open on a Friday night, yet not the sort of formula I would reshuffle my entire routine to accommodate.
In the wider world of wash off masks this one sits in the clarifying lane rather than the glow boosting or resurfacing lanes, so the results are impressive if your main gripe is shine and minor congestion. Because I have spent years cycling through every clay, mud and enzyme mask I can get my hands on I feel confident I gave this pot a fair shot, keeping the rest of my products steady so any improvements or drawbacks were easy to spot.
If your skin skews oily to very oily and you appreciate a straightforward clay session that rinses clean without leaving a chalky film you will probably enjoy it. Drier or mature skins may find the matte after feel a touch too squeaky unless they follow with a plush moisturiser, and anyone hunting for long term brightening might prefer a mask with added acids.
Would I recommend it to a friend? Yes, but with caveats. I would hand it to pals who battle midday shine or have an event coming up and need a quick complexion reset, yet I would steer my glow obsessed crowd toward something with chemical exfoliants. For myself I will finish the pot then keep shopping around.
Speaking of shopping around, a few alternatives have impressed me just as much if not more. Deascal Pink Clay Glow Mask is an excellent all rounder that exfoliates clears pores and boosts radiance at a wallet friendly price. Kiehl’s Rare Earth Deep Pore Cleansing Masque remains a standby when my T zone feels congested. Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask trades heavy duty clay for a fresher enzyme kick that leaves skin luminous, while NIOD Flavanone Mud offers a science forward detox that somehow never feels drying. I have used each of these more than once so the recommendations come from genuine time on face, not press release promises.
Before you dive into any new mask, including this one, remember the boring but crucial stuff: patch test behind your ear or along the jawline, monitor for redness or lingering tingles and respect the usage window. Results will fade if you stop using the product so keep expectations realistic and your routine consistent. Sorry for sounding like an over protective parent but your skin will thank you.