Clay is one of nature’s incredible natural resources. It has been used as a potent healer throughout history, both internally and externally. Its natural ability to pull toxins from the body makes it an ideal ingredient to cleanse and detoxify the Hair and Skin.
Clay is an excellent ingredient for skincare and a simple and easy natural ingredient to add to DIY recipes for cleansing and moisturizing the skin. It is natural, readily available, and needs to be minimally processed. Clay is still used all around the world for detoxification.
Consider your skin type and issues when looking at clays for your skincare routines.
Look to buy;
- Bentonite Clay* for oily, pimpled, acne-prone skin
- Fullers Earth* for Hyperpigmentation
- Rhassoul Clay* for dry, more mature skin
- French Green Clay* for problem skin
- White Kaolin Clay* for sensitive skin
- French Yellow Clay* for dull, tired skin
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What is Cosmetic Clay?
Clay comes from soils, volcanic deposits, and silicate rocks exposed to the elements over many years. These differing weather and climate conditions produce many minerals deposited together to form clay.
The 75 different minerals in the Montmorillonite clays are highly beneficial to the Skin, the most common minerals in clay deposits being silicates, iron, aluminum hydrous-oxide, and mica.
Clay’s ability to swell in water makes it highly absorbent and attach to toxins and impurities, like dirt and oil, pulling them out of the Skin.
Clay has been used for centuries to cleanse, treat and heal various skin conditions. Cleopatra used clay to keep her skin hydrated and nourished in her beauty routines.
How To Make Cosmetic Clay Face Masks By Skin Type/Condition.
While you can use all different types of clay for your skin conditions, there are some properties to the clay that lends itself to different skin types. You may end up with another clay you prefer, there are no rules!
Bentonite Clay Mask For Acne Skin Conditions.
Bentonite Clay is a highly absorbent clay named after Fort Benton, Montana. The most abundant source of his type of clay is found here because of its numerous volcanoes. Bentonite Clay is a very versatile clay, especially useful for helping treat acne.
*Buy Bentonite Clay for its incredible ability to cleanse and detoxify. It calms and helps treat oily, pimpled skin conditions. It absorbs into the pores to remove oils and dirt. Clays’ ability to gently bind to debris on the Skin makes them ideal face masks.
Recipe For Healing Bentonite Clay And Hempseed Oil Face Mask For Acne/Problem Skin Conditions.
Fuller’s Earth Clay Mask For Hyperpigmented Skin.
Fuller’s Earth consists of clay minerals such as bentonite, attapulgite, and kaolinite. It makes a great clarifier and cleanser. Fuller’s Earth is an active and inactive ingredient in cosmetic products.
Buy Fullers Earth*, the whitening clay, as a well-known treatment for hyperpigmentation. It helps fade and balance the skin’s dark spots and patches.
Most of Fuller’s Earth comes from The USA and, to a lesser extent, from Japan, Mexico, and England.
A Recipe for Fuller’s Earth and Aloe Vera clay Face mask for hyperpigmentation.
Rhassoul Clay Mask For Dry, Mature Skin.
Rhassoul clay, often known as Ghassoul Clay or Moroccan Clay, is named after the Moroccan word Rhassala, meaning to wash. Rhassoul clay comes from Morocco’s fertile mountainous regions. It has been an ingredient in numerous beauty applications for thousands of years.
Buy Rhassoul Clay* for its ability to bind to toxins. It can help speed up skin regeneration and renewal by sweeping away old skin cells, leaving a smoother, more youthful complexion. It is gentler than Bentonite clay, so it is excellent for dryer and more mature skin, and it can be used all year round.
A Recipe for an anti-aging Rhassoul clay face mask with raw cacao and coffee bean oil to smooth lines and wrinkles and rejuvenate the complexion.
French Green Clay Mask For Problem Skin.
French Green Clay is a highly absorbent and effective clay with a micro-molecular structure. It is suitable for blemished, problem skin, as the clay binds to the toxins and pulls dirt and impurities gently from the Skin.
French Green Clay naturally occurs in France, China, Montana, Wyoming, and other parts of Europe. It gets its green color from iron oxide and decomposed plants.
Buy French Green Clay* for its skin-healing ingredients; it has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. This clay can help calm eczema, psoriasis, and other inflammatory skin conditions.
A Recipe for French Green Clay and Matcha Green Tea Face Mask for Problem Skin.
White Kaolin Clay For Sensitive Skin.
White Kaolin Clay is often known as white clay or China clay. This delicate, light, versatile clay is suitable for sensitive skin. It hails from wet, humid conditions, including in the USA.
Buy White Kaolin Clay* for sensitive skin. This skin type benefits significantly from clays’ varying natural mineral content, like calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. These minerals are absorbed by and beneficial in nourishing and balancing the skin.
A Recipe for White Kaolin Clay and Manuka Honey Face Mask for sensitive skin.
French Yellow Clay For Dull, Tired Skin.
French yellow clay gets its unique, sunny color from its varied mineral composition, including iron oxides. This clay is very beneficial for dull skin and has excellent exfoliating properties.
French yellow clay absorbs oil and sloughs off dead, dry skin, leaving the complexion refreshed and rejuvenated.
Buy French Yellow clay* when the skin appears lackluster to revive, tone, firm, and refresh it.
Recipe for a Homemade French Yellow Clay Face Mask with Pumpkin and Turmeric that will revive and glow up your complexion.
How To Make A Basic Cosmetic Clay Face Mask?
Making an essential cosmetic clay face mask is very simple. You can start with the White Kaolin Clays and the French Green clays, as they are fine, soft clays suitable for sensitive or normal skin and easy to mix and apply.
- Use one to two tablespoons of clay powder.
- Add three to four tablespoons of filtered water, apple cider vinegar*, or rose water.
- Mix into a paste thick enough to stick to the skin.
- Adjust to the consistency you desire.
Use glass, plastic, or wood implements as metal affects clay’s charge and makes it less effective.
- Apply to a clean, damp face, applying in thin layers. Leave the clay on for between ten to fifteen minutes. DO NOT LET THE CLAY MASK DRY FULLY. The longer the clay is on, the more potential it has to dry the skin.
The mineral content of the clay will nourish your skin. As the mask begins to dry, it will tighten the skin, stimulating blood flow and leaving it firm, taut, and refreshed.
- Remove the Clay face Mask with a warm, damp washcloth, press to the face, and leave it for a few minutes to loosen the clay before gently rinsing off. The skin should feel firm and rejuvenated. If any redness has occurred, it will gradually lessen over the next few minutes.
- Hydrate the skin with a soothing natural oil, like Argan or Jojoba Oil.
How Often Can You Use A Clay Face Mask?
Clay face masks are suitable for normal skin to cleanse and clarify once a week. Clay can be a bit drying, so choose the delicate white and green clays or Rhassoul Clay, suitable for dryer skin types.
Problematic, oily, or acne skin conditions can experiment with using masks more frequently. Mix with a few drops of oil, like Jojoba or Argan, and read this post on skin-beneficial essential oils that you can add for extra skincare benefits and moisturization.
Experiment with your recipes, and by using trial and error, with your skin type in mind, you can come up with some great natural solutions to take care of your skin.
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