Margot Robbie’s backing this — so I was already side-eyeing the price tag. Turns out it smells like a low tide you’re not sure you want to visit again.
The texture is gritty in a way that made me wonder if I was exfoliating or exfoliating my dignity away. First wash-off left my skin looking decent, but not “celebrity checkbook” decent.
It’s a £45 clay mask from Haeckels — a British brand founded by a model named Dom. The claim: crushed oyster shells + seaweed = instant glow. I bit because I love a beachy origin story.
Crushed Shell Texture
Feels like scrubbing your face with crushed-up seashells — not relaxing, but oddly satisfying.
Seaweed Base
Dries down in 8 minutes flat. No waiting around like a fool.
Glass Jar
Heavy, pretty, and will definitely shatter if you drop it in the sink.
Photo: Christian Agbede / Unsplash
Hero ingredients are ground oyster shells (calcium carbonate) and bladderwrack seaweed. The shells are basically physical exfoliants — think gentle grit, not microplastic. The seaweed is meant to calm and hydrate, but honestly, it’s the texture doing the heavy lifting.
- Crushed oyster shells: Physically sloughs dead skin — gritty but not aggressive
- Bladderwrack seaweed: Soothes redness, but you won’t notice it under all that scrub
- Kaolin clay: Absorbs oil — standard stuff
- Glycerin: Prevents total face-drought
Photo: Poko Skincare / Unsplash
It goes on like wet sand — thick, grey, and a little cold. Rinsing takes forever because the shells cling to your sink like barnacles. My face felt tight but not stripped, which is a neat trick.
Week 3: I stopped using it twice a week and dropped to once. Any more and my skin got cranky — red patches, the works. Surprising because I usually love a good scrub.
Photo: Rosa Rafael / Unsplash
My pores looked smaller for about 12 hours. Texture improved slightly — smoother, less bumpy. But my hormonal chin acne? Unbothered. It’s a surface-level fix, not a deep treatment.
Photo: kimia kazemi / Unsplash
It’s a solid mask trapped in a celebrity-brand tax. Margot’s glow comes from her skincare team, not crushed seashells. You can get 80% of the results from a £12 clay mask and a washcloth.