Golden Guys: We Tried Out a $600 Gold Mud Mask in Honor of International Mud Day

But first, we have to ask, how the hell can a simple face mask be worth $600 dollars? Well, the answer is complicated. First, it contains actual mud from the Dead Sea. While that may not sound exciting, look at it this way: if you wanted to get this mud yourself, you’d have to literally fly to Israel, travel to the Dead Sea, and then coat yourself in the mineral rich mud known for its healing properties. The plane ticket to Israel alone would cost more than this Mud Mask. Also, it’s full of gold. Legit, real, 24-Karat gold. You can actually see the metal when you put the mask on and there’s even a part of the directions that ask you to “massage the gold serum into your skin until absorbed.” This mask actually tells you to absorb gold through your skin. Like you’re some sort of god or something (and that’s awesome).

The brand behind the mask, Arianna Skincare, was founded by Miri Torres after her recovery from Stage 4B Hodgkin’s Lymphoma disease. While receiving treatment for the disease, Torres handled the chemotherapy and other treatments fairly well, but experienced an unpleasant side effect: eczema and rashes that covered her entire body. On a mission to repair her skin naturally, Torres found herself in the lowest place on earth–the Dead Sea. Turning toward natural remedies, she focused her research on minerals and found that the Dead Sea’s waters contain twelve skin-enriching minerals not found in any other body of water. From magnesium to calcium to sulfur to zinc, the minerals found in the Dead Sea’s waters are, according to Arianna Skincare, “Critical in strengthening skin tissue, maintaining healthy skin balance, stimulating blood circulation and removing toxins from the skin…Like vitamins, minerals are not produced by the body and are gradually lost throughout the day. To acquire them we depend solely on external supply. Therefore, replenishing the minerals in your skin is so critical.”

And thus the Antioxidant Black Mud Mask was born. Some of the features of the mud mask include:

• Exfoliates and tightens skin
• Helps soften lines and imperfections
• Calms redness and evens out skintone
• Contains potent Anti-aging properties

The whole application of the mask is a bit of a fun process. The mud mask comes with a spatula that’s used to apply the mud and a powerful magnet that is used to remove it. Unlike a traditional mask that you wash off with water after it dries, this mask sits on your face for 10-15 minutes, doesn’t dry, and requires the use of a magnet to remove the mud and dirt from the product while leaving the 24-Karat gold infused serum on your face. Then, you rub the serum into the skin and voila, you’re a golden guy!

Now, we obviously cannot suggest that you go out and buy a $600 mud mask. That’s a a pretty indulgent move. But, we can suggest you save up some money to present this as a great gift for your lady friend (and then secretly use it on yourself).