The Benefits of Natural Clay for Your Skin

You’ve seen it all over mainstream media, people’s faces smeared with a thick paste, enjoying a self-care day alone or with a group of friends—the idyllic picture of self-care.

There’s a reason clay products have been hyped for so long: it can do wonders for your skin. Simple as that. All skin types are welcome to try this fine-grained, mineral-rich skin superhero.

But how does it work and what does it do for your complexion? It’s no magic. Natural clays boast so many benefits it’s hard to fit them all in one post. Here are just a few of them:

Draws out impurities

We expose our skin to all types of gunk on the daily. We sweat, we wear makeup, and even air pollution finds its way into our pores. Clay cleansers help to detoxify your skin by drawing out micro particles from deep within. We use pink clay and bentonite clay in many of our natural soaps. We love pink clay for its moisturizing properties and bentonite clay is great for absorbing excess oil. Plus, clays help to give our soaps that luxurious silky feel and provide some gentle exfoliation.

Sometimes, superficial cleansing with your everyday face wash isn’t enough to reach deep into those pores for a thorough detoxification. Clay masks dive deep into your skin, pushing those impurities out. Kaolin clay, a popular ingredient in clay masks, has a natural drawing effect and helps to pull out impurities from your skin. It pushes out dirt from deep inside your skin and brings it to the surface, making it much easier to wash away.

Reduces excess oil

If you have oily skin, you know how hard it can be to control that excess oil sitting on the surface throughout the day.

Thankfully, clays work wonders to keep shine at bay and mattify the skin (even problem areas like the T-zone). The adsorption powers of Bentonite and Kaolin Clay help to remove excess sebum and reduce surface shine, preventing acne breakouts—the perfect solution for my oily-skin people.

Hydrates your skin

While clay is mostly known to help with acne-prone skin, it also has hydrating benefits if you’re looking for a little added moisture. Pink Clay is known for its mild cleansing properties, purging oil and grime without being too harsh on your skin.

Gently exfoliates

Clays are also a great way to gently exfoliate your skin. The soft, fine-grained minerals help shed dead skin cells from the surface to reveal radiant skin. It’s also rich in magnesium and potassium, which beauty gurus all over the world swear by when it comes to improving the skin’s elasticity.

Treats hyperpigmented skin

If you suffer from hyperpigmentation, bentonite clay is for you! Bentonite clay is known for its absorbent properties, assisting with removing impurities from pores, shrinking them down and evening out your complexion. Its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties also help acne and other blemishes heal better, decreasing the chances of darker spots.

Bentonite acts like a sponge, just like the other types of clay, drawing out darker dead cells to the surface of the skin, allowing dark spots to fade much faster.

Incorporate clay products into your skincare routine

There are so many ways to incorporate clay products into your skincare routine.

Many of our natural soaps contain bentonite and/or kaolin clay that will help to draw out skin impurities all over your body and provide gentle exfoliation.

One of our favourite self-care practices is slathering on a lovely clay mask a few times a week. We have two different clay masks that target different skin problems: our Calming Charcoal Mask is made with charcoal and bentonite clay to combat oily skin and clogged pores, while our Hydrating Clay Mask is made with pink and kaolin clays, a milder blend that will strengthen your skin's moisture barrier and still draw out impurities.

We like mixing our masks with our facial mists for the added benefits of hydrating botanical extracts, aloe vera and silk amino acids. Make sure to cleanse your face before applying the paste in an even layer all over your face. As it dries, take this time to pamper yourself. Your face may feel a little itchy when it starts to dry, due to the tightening of the skin but that’s just a sign of stimulating blood flow.

Finally, rinse with warm water, and follow up with your favourite skincare products and moisturizer. Having drawn out all those impurities from deep within your pores, your skin will suck up anything you apply onto it.    

You can soak in it too! Our bath soak and our foot soak also contain bentonite clay, which help draw out those impurities from your skin as you soak in the tub, while mineral salts cleanse, improve circulation and relax your muscles.