Shopping for a clay mask can be overwhelming. That’s because there are so many choices.
It seems as if a growing number of people are discovering this natural beauty secret, derived from volcanic ash. So a dizzying array of clay products have come onto the market.
You’ve probably heard the term Bentonite clay. This is because a huge deposit has been found near Fort Benton, Wyoming.
What Type of Clay to Use
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Depending upon where it’s mined, clay has slightly different properties. It comes in different colors as well. For instance, the Bentonite clay that comes from the Western part of the United States tends to be tan colored. You’ll also find green and red-hued clay that comes from Europe. All varieties are now widely available online.
My advice, when choosing a clay, is to compare what’s out there. And then buy only what you need.
Clay is a natural product. It’s a wonderful health and beauty aid. So it appears as if there’s little anyone can do to improve upon what God has created, except to guarantee that the clay they sell is pure and of a suitable grade for personal and beauty care.
You probably don’t need to buy clay with top-shelf pricing, unless you’re sure there’s an advantage over a lower-priced product.
Much of the differences between the various brands seems to be in the packaging. However, you do want to buy from a trusted company, such as Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay, and make sure the clay comes from somewhere other than China.
(I am not aware of any Bentonite or French green clay coming from China. However, given the huge and expanding therapeutic clay market, I think we have to be careful. That’s because there have been widely reported instances of fraud in certain Chinese-made products.)
Where to Buy a Clay Mask
If you’re buying clay for the first time, I’d recommend getting the smallest size available. That’s because clay seems to last forever, especially if you just plan to use it on your face. I’ve owned my bottle of facial clay for more than a year. I still have a lot left. Each time I use it, I only use about a half teaspoon, for a full-face treatment.
I periodically put clay on my face. I love how it seems to clean my skin, from inside out. It’s believed clay has the ability to draw toxins from your skin. (I’ll explain more about this later.)
On my face, I use only natural materials. After years of putting potentially dangerous chemicals on my skin, I realize that plant and mineral-based products seem to work even better. Gone is that dry, flaky skin I suffered with for years, probably aggravated by harsh ingredients. Clay now has a place in my natural beauty regimen.
If you’re interested in using facial clay, you should know that different varieties seem to have slightly different benefits. So you’ll want to learn about them, and then pick the one that’s right for you.
However, it’s also hard to go too wrong. Even a type said to be good for oily skin can often work for other skin types if you add a little olive or grapeseed oil to the mix.
Bentonite Clay Powder Benefits
This is a very popular type of facial clay. It has a reputation for being a good, all-around detoxification clay. It’s also considered good for all types of skin. Clay seems to work well for both acne-prone younger skin and for more mature skin. It has a powerful exfoliating action.
Aztec Secret clay is Bentonite clay that comes from the Death Valley area of the United States. According to the company, this clay is sun dried for six months, in temperatures that sometimes exceed 130-degrees F. The company that sells this clay also noted that it contains nearly every mineral present on earth.
Volcanic clay is negatively charged. It’s believed these negatively charged ions draw positively charged toxins to the surface of the skin.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
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French Green Clay Benefits
This type of clay is also known as Montmirillon clay. It is mined in France. It has a distinct green color. Green clay is often recommended for acne-prone and oily skin.
This clay seems to work well for my own slightly oily complexion. But I make sure not to leave it on longer than 10 minutes. One time I left it on for 20 minutes. Afterwards my skin was a little red. It was nothing terrible, though, and it went away quickly.
But, as long as I watch the clock, I can’t say enough about green clay, and how soft it makes my skin feel.
If you have dryer skin, you may want to add a little olive oil or pure avocado oil to your mask.
Green clay is widely available online. Now Foods, a trusted American-based company, from which I buy a lot of my health and beauty products, sells green European clay powder. Even though I was nearly certain this clay is not sourced from China, I called the company to make sure. I was told if comes from Italy.
Red Moroccan Facial Clay
I’ll admit that I’ve never tried red Moroccan clay. That’s because it’s supposed to be really good for sensitive skin, which I don’t have. So I chose something more suitable for me. There’s no reason why this wouldn’t work on my skin. So I could give it a try when my green clay runs out. (But this is going to take a long time.)
Red clay is a traditional Moroccan beauty product. Just like the green clay powder above, Now Foods also sells Moroccan red clay powder. Red clay is often known as Moroccan clay, no matter where it comes from. This red clay comes from Italy, just across the Mediterranean.
What Type of Clay to Use
Still can’t decide which type of clay is best for you? Then you might want to consider a product that contains a mix of clay, from different parts of the world. Ancient Clay Facial Mask contains three different types of natural soils.
One type is Bentonite.The second type of clay found in Ancient Clay Facial Mask is French green clay. This is also found in a growing number of health and beauty products available online.
Fullers Earth Clay Mask
Also included is Fuller’s Earth clay. This type of clay is often used on acne-prone skin, due to its reputation for being able to remove blackheads and clear whiteheads.
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It’s believed these three clays work “synergistically,” with the green clay drawing out toxins and the Bentonite acting to revitalize the skin, according to the manufacturer.
Although the label says “the homeopathic solution,” there do not seem to be any homeopathic remedies in this 100 percent pure clay product. Sometimes, the word “homeopathic” is used interchangeably with “holistic,” even though, for many of us, it has a different meaning.
Photo Credit: Voy/Bigstock.com
