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Clays have been used cosmetically for centuries and are still present in almost all traditional beauty regimens. Clay has the ability to absorb excess oils, dirt and harmful toxins from the skin. Moor mud (pictured on the left) is one of the world’s most prized ancient medicines. It has been used for centuries to balance, detoxify, and tone the body. Historical reports reveal the many uses of moor mud in the treatment of human disease.
Clays
Cosmetic clays are made up of different mineral contents and each clay type has a different effect on the skin. The high mineral content of clay rejuvenates the skin while the clay exfoliates and stimulates blood circulation to the skin. Regular use of clay facials will remove dead skin cells, improve circulation to the skin, remove debris from the pores and bring about a smooth healthy glow. Each clay has the ability to absorb toxins from the skin but they differ in their level of absorption.
According
to massagetherapy.com, while medicinal muds and clays come in a wide variety of
colors and textures, they all serve the same basic function of benefiting the
skin by extracting contaminants (detoxification). The color of the clay or mud
is also an indicator of which skin conditions it is best suited to remedy.
Sachs says, "The metallic oxides
that give clays their color work with the body's chemistry to produce different
effects."
For example:
Black Clay
gently
opens the skin's pores, allowing them to breathe more freely.
Blue Clay
makes effective masks for acne and inflamed skin.
Green
Clay
is suited to oily skin and naturally reduces sebum production.
Red Clay
cleanses normal skin and is useful for reducing pain in
joints.
White Clay
helps detoxify, balance sebum production, and improve
elasticity in the skin and underlying muscle tissue.
Yellow Clay
acts as an antiseptic and is effective against bacterial infections.
Clays can be used in facials, body
powders, soaps, and as a natural colorant for soap, lotions, creams, bath salts
and more. It is recommended that you use cosmetic grade clays.
Bentonite Clay is a combination of montmorillonite
and volcanic ash that is best suited for oily skin. This is a highly absorbent
clay that pulls oils and toxins from the skin. In addition, it is one of the
best clays for making clay poultices. Bentonite is also a good clay to use for
shaving soaps (use about 1 tablespoon per pound of soap) and for use as
an oily hair and scalp treatment.
Uses: Cosmetic/Medicinal
Suitable for Oily Skin/Hair
Dead Sea Clay is rich in the minerals which
are found at the bottom of the Dead Sea. Whether used alone or mixed with
other clays, it is great for facials, body wraps, hair wraps, and in soaps.
1 tablespoon of clay per pound of soap
will result in a nice
dense, exfoliating lather.
Uses: Suitable for All Skin/Hair Types
French Green
Clay is
highly efficient at drawing oils and toxins from the skin. It is rich in
important minerals and phyto-nutrients and is the most commonly used clay in
therapeutics. Use it for facials, body wraps and body/foot powders. French green
clay is mostly montmorillonite and can also be used in soaps (about 1
tablespoon per pound of soap)
.
Limit to 1 application per week.
Do
not use for sensitive or dry skin types.
Uses:
Cosmetic/Medicinal. Suitable for Oily Skin/Hair
Green Illite Clay
is
often referred to as French Green Clay. It is highly efficient at drawing oils
and toxins from the skin and is used for detoxification and exfoliation of the
skin. This clay is similar in structure to montmorillonite, but it is
greener in color and does not expand with water. Green illite clay can
also be used in soaps (about 1 tablespoon per pound of soap) and
body/foot powders.
Limit to 1 application per week.
Do not use for
sensitive or dry skin types.
Uses: Cosmetic/Medicinal. Suitable for Oily
Skin/Hair
Pink Kaolin Clay is a gentle clay that helps
stimulate circulation to the skin while gently exfoliating and cleansing it.
Pink kaolin clay does not draw oils from the skin and can therefore be used on
dry and sensitive skin types. It can be used in body powders to keep skin dry.
Use in soaps at about 1 tablespoon per pound of
soap.
Uses:
Cosmetic/Medicinal.
Suitable for Dry, Sensitive or
Normal Skin/Hair Types
Red Kaolin
Clay is
mildly absorbent and is used for drawing oils and toxins from the skin. It
is used in facials and body wraps for normal skin and can also be used as a
natural colorant in soaps (about 1 tablespoon per pound of soap).
Limit to 1 application per week.
Do not use for
sensitive or dry skin types.
Uses: Cosmetic/Medicinal. Suitable for Oily
Skin/Hair
White Kaolin
Clay is basically kaolinite and is
also known as China or white clay. This is the mildest of all clays and is
suitable for sensitive skin. It helps stimulate circulation to the skin while
gently exfoliating and cleansing it. It does not draw oils from the skin and can
therefore be used on dry skin types.
Uses: Cosmetic/USP/FDA.
Suitable for Dry, Sensitive or Normal Skin/Hair
Types
Yellow Kaolin
Clay is a mild clay that helps
stimulate circulation to the skin while gently exfoliating and cleansing it.
Yellow kaolin does not draw oils from the skin excessively and can therefore be
used on most dry and sensitive skin types. It can also be used in soap and body
powders.
Uses: Cosmetic/Medicinal.
Suitable for Dry, Sensitive or Normal Skin/Hair
Types
Moroccan Red Clay comes from deep below the Atlas Mountains in
Morocco. This clay is a strong cleansing clay that will draw excess oils from
the skin, stimulate circulation to the skin and act as a powerful astringent for
oily skin and hair. It is used in many spas around the world. Use it in facials
and body wraps. Moroccan red clay also makes a nice natural color additive for
soaps and powders. Limit to 1 application per week.
Do
not use for sensitive or dry skin types.
Uses: Suitable for Normal and Oily Skin/Hair Types
Multani Mitti Clay, also known as Indian Fullers
Earth, is similar to kaolin clay. It is formed by the decomposition of volcanic
ash. Fullers used it to clean sheep’s wool prior to spinning it, and hence the
reason for its name. Multani Mitti clay is highly absorbent. It is good for
drawing excess oils from the skin and stimulating circulation to the skin.
Limit to 1 application
per week.
Do not use for sensitive or dry skin types.
Uses:
Suitable for Oily Skin/Hair
Rhassoul Clay (also called Ghassoul) is a
super fine ancient clay that comes from deep below the Atlas Mountains in
Morocco. Although it is difficult to obtain from the deep clay beds, it has been
used for centuries by the ancient people of Rome and Egypt. Rhassoul clay is
rich in minerals such as Silica, Magnesium, Iron, Calcium, Potassium and Sodium.
It helps detoxify the skin while it exfoliates gently. Rhassoul clay is used by
the finest spas around the world.
Limit to 1 application per week.
Do not use for
sensitive or dry skin types.
Uses: Suitable for Normal and Oily Skin/Hair Types
Rose Clay, also known as pink clay, is a mild
kaolin clay that can be used on normal to dry skin to gently cleanse and
exfoliate the skin while improving the skin’s circulation. Rose clay is tinted
with iron oxides and gives a beautiful pink color to soaps and powders.
|
Uses: Cosmetic/USP.
Suitable for Dry, Sensitive or Normal
Skin/Hair Types
Sea Clay is a kaolinite clay of a grayish green
color. It has a high content of minerals and helps to draw oils while
mineralizing the skin. Use sea clay for facials and body wraps.
Uses: Cosmetic/FDA.
Suitable for All Skin/Hair Types
Muds
According to Sachs, potential positive effects that mud can
have on the mind and body include relief of congestion through the mobilization
of toxins, reduction of inflammation through balancing tissue fluids, pain and
muscle tension relief, healing of scar tissue, bruises, cuts, breakouts,
psoriasis, and eczema, and the reduction of stress and anxiety.
Just as there are many uses for medicinal muds,
there are also many ways to apply them to the skin. A mud mask can be applied to
the face, or the whole body can be covered in a mud wrap.
"Most commonly a spa mud is applied in a fine layer -- just enough
for the skin to look covered," Sachs says. "The client is then wrapped to keep
the body warm and the product moist. If mud is applied to the face or other
small parts that are not usually wrapped, the clay naturally heats as it dries.
The heat excites the skin, and toxins are mobilized. If a thicker warm mud pack
is used, toxins can be drawn from deeper in the tissue, circulation is pulled to
the skin's surface, and muscle tissue is encouraged to
relax."
Dead Sea Ingredients
Dead Sea ingredients are naturally rich in minerals found in the
Dead Sea bed. They help revitalize, exfoliate and purify the skin, drawing excess
oils and debris from the skin leaving a clean fresh feeling. Dead Sea salt is
wonderful for use in a variety of applications such as bath salts, salt scrubs,
foot scrubs, bath bombs, bath teas, body wraps and body polishers.
Dead Sea clay and mud help tighten pores and stimulate circulation to leave your skin with a smooth, healthy glow. The mud can also be used as a pack for sore joints and as a hair pack to alleviate dandruff and oily hair conditions. It will not overdry the scalp.
Making a Dead Sea Mud Mask:
A Dead Sea mud mask can be made very simply by mixing Dead Sea clay and enough
water (including Dead Sea brine), hydrosol or other wetting agent to make a thick paste. You
may add essential oil (3 drops) to the mud to help cleanse
the pores and kill the bacteria that causes blemishes. Other wetting agents for
the clay include fruit puree, yogurt, cucumber juice and milk. Honey can be added for anti-bacterial
properties and for spots of dry skin try adding some jojoba to help balance the
skin. Other good additives include powdered sea vegetables, powdered rice bran,
colloidal oatmeal, nut meals and powdered herbs.
Dead Sea masks cannot be premixed and stored, so only mix
what you will use immediately. Alternatively, you can provide customers with a
specially blended wetting agent in a separate container so they can prepare the
mask when desired.
Dead Sea Hair
Wrap:
A very
effective Dead Sea hair wrap can be made with 1/2 cup mud or clay (wet with Dead
Sea brine), 1 tablespoon shikakai powder, 1 teaspoon aritha powder, 1 teaspoon
neem powder, 1 tablespoon jojoba oil and 5 drops of rosemary essential oil. All
of these ingredients are available at From Nature with Love. Mix all of the ingredients and massage
through wet hair. Wrap your head with plastic and then a hot towel. Leave it in
for at least 15 minutes, and then wash out.
Dead Sea mud, also known as black mud, is a high quality, mineral-rich mud used for centuries for its cosmetic and health benefits. Adding essential oils will not affect its stability although the addition of other liquids, however, may reduce its shelf life.
Moor Mud is one of the world’s most prized ancient medicines and has been used for centuries to balance, detoxify, and tone the body. Historical reports reveal the many uses of moor mud in the treatment of human disease. Even animals have been observed using moor mud for its curative properties. Moor mud is the unique product of time and nature that started with the retreat of the last Ice Age. A very fertile valley brimming with plant life was formed and isolated from the rest of the world. These plants became submerged under a lake formed by the melting glaciers. Over time, this area became a rich, live deposit of organic substances with all of the properties of the plants intact. Analysis of moor mud shows that it contains over 1000 organic botanicals, trace minerals and elements, enzymes, natural anti-biotics, vitamins and phyto-hormones.
Moor mud is being rediscovered today by the world’s best naturopaths, and it is being used to heal a wide range of disorders. It is seen on the menus of the world’s finest spas for complete body care. In addition to its cosmetic use as a natural exfoliant, detoxifier and cellulite reducer, moor mud can be used in poultices to reduce swelling, reduce inflammation, draw out abscesses, and to promote healing with minimized scar formation.
As I continue to
research and experiment with home spa treatments, I will be adding to this
subsite. Until then, I hope you enjoy the information I have gathered so far.
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