Trying a Charcoal Face Mask

After watching several youtube videos, somehow I am dying to put charcoal on my face. Anyways, it happened. My recent order from Sephora included a free sample of a charcoal face mask and this lazy Monday morning was the time to try it out!

First impression: It smells a little unpleasant, but tolerable, and was lumpy but easy to spread on my face. The best part, more surprising part was that I immediately experienced a cooling sensation all over my face, which felt soothing and invigorating.

During: It's really easy to get wrapped up in something else for 5-10 minutes. I think it's actually harder to tear yourself away from said thing and rinse your face with warm water. I could have easily left the mask on another 30 minutes, but then my face probably would have dried into a desert. 

It was fun playing around with facial expressions when my skin was so taut. Kind of like experimenting with a post-dental procedure mouth but way more fun. The mask was easy to wash off and I moisturized afterwards, as a precaution against dryness.

Verdict: The directions say to use the mask about two times a week, which doesn't seem extreme. I wouldn't mind using the mask again, but I would want to know the best way to incorporate it into the rest of my schedule. I've been advised to exfoliate my face twice a week as well. So should the mask and exfoliation happen on different days? I'm sure there's such a thing as messing with your face too much, and in the summer I try to be more low-maintenance on my skin in general. So I would be open to using the mask but would want more direction from an expert on the best way to incorporate it into a skin care routine. Any advice?

Here's the packaging (of the sample) if you're interested in trying it out for yourself!