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MAC Volcanic Ash Exfoliator Makes You Feel Amazing!

Last week, when I shared with you what I kept in my shower, I briefly told you of the merits of MAC’s Volcanic Ash Exfoliator ($19.00). It’s such a great product that it deserves its own, official review. Volcanic Ash is both a foaming and exfoliating scrub, which makes it different from the typical exfoliator (most do not have any foaming action). The exfoliants the product use are the volcanic ash and sugar crystals. The volcanic ash is from the island of Vanuatu, and it contains minerals and sulfur from “deep within the earth.”

While all that fancy-speak may or may not be marketing (or some combination of marketing and truth), one usage and the results speak for themselves. The exfoliators dissolve as you gently massage it into your skin, and when you add a little more water, the cleanser will foam up. I personally like that they dissolve, because it helps you time your cleansing; plus, you don’t get little grains or beads stuck on your face post-use. The only downside of the product is that it is a messy/dirty product in the sense that it is black ash that you put on your skin, so it’ll turn your face a dirty gray/black. This in turn makes it difficult to wash over the sink sometimes. I tend to use mine in the shower, because then I don’t have to worry about dirtying up my sink area. It’s really a minor point, because after a few usages, you get pretty good at rinsing and not making a mess.

I love this product so much, I wish I could use it everyday, but alas, you are only supposed to use it one to three times per week. You can use this product on your face or body, which makes it a multi-tasker. To be honest, I love it too much (and it’s sold out everywhere near me), I save it for my face. It’s a good-size tub of product (4.5 oz), but if I started using it for my body, I’d go through it much too fast. I really hope MAC brings this back and makes it permanent–it could be such a cult product, I know it.

Bottom line, this stuff makes your face feel soft as buttery silk. Get it if you can get your hands on it! (C’mon, $19? It’s a total steal!)

59 Comments

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Kendra Avatar

I have checked everywhere in Ottawa and Winnipeg (when I was visiting) and they all sold out almost immediately! I’m quite disappointed 🙁

Tekoa Avatar

I have it, and I love it. The black-gloopyness made me pause, you wouln’t think something that looks like a tar pit would be in any way shape or form a cleaning agent. I’m hoping they bring it back.

Christine Avatar

Hi Tekoa,

Oh, it made me pause, too. I was like, ‘WHOA!’ I hope they do, too, because I didn’t stock up on it (I don’t even know what the lifespan of it is), and I didn’t think I’d blow through the jar THAT quickly, lol. But yeah, totally want to keep using it!

claudine Avatar

i bought two of the lip exfoliators
and i love it ….i apply it then i take a damp cotton pad and remove the grains….voila soft primed (because of the white part) lips

Gigi Avatar

I know I’m supposed to comment on the VAE, but let me just say, the fact that you used “its” and not “it’s” makes me very very happy! I am such a grammar nazi when it comes to blogs; many of the make-up blogs I read use “it’s” incorrectly! Really irritates me. Thanks for the great grammar! 😀

For those who can’t find it: “It’s such a great product that it deserves its own, official review.”

Awesome.

Zsofi Avatar

oh,if only i would have bought it when i was a step away from it :-))))
but You know i want my Temptala review before any purchase 🙂
i like this little rating thing,its very new and fun 🙂

Bea Avatar

I love it. I heard that it was being made permanent so look for it in a few months or so…It may be a rumor or wishful thinking, so don’t hold me to it yet!

Jade Avatar

This exfoliator sold out sooooo fast in SC. I got a sample first and a couple days later went back….bad idea they were all out! I really hope they do make it a permanent. MAC doesn’t have a perm. exfoliator does it?

brandye Avatar

I use mine in the shower too but the only downside is DON’T DROP THE LID!!! I dropped mine the very first time I used it and a giant chunk broke off the side and now it doesn’t close properly 🙁 wahhh.

ashi Avatar

i got a tad sample sometime ago but haven’t used it yet.is it good and safe for all skin types?and does it do anything extraordinary?

Candace117 Avatar

I thankfully stocked up because I foresaw this being too big of a hit for words, but I’m still upset because I should have bought even MORE! :-/ As a result, I am using sparingly and trying to use more of my Kiehl’s (the pineapple papaya scrub is amazing in a different way than VAE).

Rhian Avatar

Thats a bummer that its sold out in loads of places in states — there was loads in my MAC the other day and its available on the UK site

Socaltrojan Avatar

I finished one jar of this! Luckily, I had the Nordstrom beauty hotline track down the last 2 in their system over the summer and they shipped them to me! I have yet to open the 2 jars I have remaining. I am worried that I will run out of it so I have been using philosophy’s salt scrubs which are amazing.

Whitney Avatar

so are they bringing it back then? I looked on ebay and it has something volcanic ash from MAC, but it comes in a tube, I think it’s like a facemask, is that the same thing?

taci Avatar

I saw that soap and glory (found at target) has somthing like this. And by like I mean that it heats up and exfoliates. I never tried it yet but it is def a cheaper alternative that you could use on the rest of your body.

ashley Avatar

Just to let all of you guys know. I visited the mac website. I used the live chat there to ask about their volcanic ash exfoliator. The girl that assisted me told me that the product was only a life limited product.
So they will no longer be selling any more of those.

GET THIS: IT WAS A LIFE-LIMITED PRODUCT….ONLY!
That really sucks because i really wanted to try it out! =[

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