3 Reasons to Love Clay

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So I know it might seem a bit odd that I’ve decided to dedicate a whole post to clay, but you’ll understand why after the jump…promise!

To start from the beginning, my obsession and complete devotion to the magical stuff all started a few weeks ago when my skin just…erupted. I might get a breakout here and there usually but this was something on a whole other level. I don’t know if I ate something I was allergic to or if it was a hormonal thing or what, but I have honestly never experienced anything in my life like it and as someone who promotes personal style as a passion and a living (i.e. I share my face often enough), I had to fix it immediately. Desperate to find a solution and fed up with all my over-the-counter fixes not working, I took it upon myself to find another option with natural products.

This research into natural skin care led to discovering a complete skin-saver in the form of bentonite clay (seriously…complete turnaround in less than a week), and it also helped me discover a few other benefits of clay that have completely changed things for me. Check them all out below!

Clay Face Mask

Trying out this simple face mask was the initial reason I’d picked up my Redmond Bentonite Clay and its fast and incredible results were what got me hooked, eager to find out what else clay could help me with.

Grab a high-quality bentonite clay and filtered water and mix approximately equal parts.

You’ll have to keep stirring for awhile (with a plastic spoon – metal deactivates some of the clay’s negative electric properties!) but it will soon take on the form of a paste. Aim for a consistency that’s similar to Dijon mustard.

You can troubleshoot on breakouts or around your T-zone, but you can also use it as a full face mask – totally depends on your skin type.

I like to apply this to my T-zone in the mornings while I’m dry brushing my body – by the time I’m done dry brushing (about 5-7 minutes), it’s usually just about completely dry, which is when you should take it off. I did a full face mask four times a week until my skin healed, and now that it’s calmed down entirely, I just do the troubleshooting.

The results have been phenomenal. Can not stress this enough. Not only did my skin completely clear up, but it’s softer and its overall tone has improved.

Working a Clay Mask into a Natural Beauty Routine

Since I wanted to stay natural, I did my research and discovered that rosehip oil is an excellent restoring oil for recovering or damaged skin, though it’s also wonderful for normal skin. It’s also particularly amazing for aging skin, sunburnt skin or evening out skin tone. I started applying this organic Aura Cacia rosehip oil in the evenings after cleansing and/or doing my clay face mask.

Incidentally, right as I got into this new routine, local organic beauty boutique Green & Pure sent me some amazing products by the organic skin care Evie. I have fallen hard for the Toning Rose Water and the Miracle Oil, which carries Rose Otto oil and (surprise, surprise!) rosehip oil. I’ve only been using both for the past week or so but am loving both products so far.

So to wrap up the routine, in the mornings I splash my face with cold water, dry brush and wear my clay mask, rinse off the mask, spritz the Toning Rose Water on and finish with the Miracle Oil. In the evenings, I remove all my makeup with Evie’s Amazingly Soothing Makeup Remover, spritz with the rose water and wrap it up with Aura Cacia’s rosehip oil. Favourite. Skin care routine. To date.

Clay Detox Bath

Okay, moving on…probably my favourite clay benefit I’ve discovered is its amazing detoxifying properties in a hot bath. I was never a bath person until this month…now I crave a soak all the time.

I try to have this purifying bath 3 times a week, and try to time them for right after my most intense workouts of the week. It’s incredible how much it’s helped with recovery…I went for the most insane run last week and after having this miracle bath, felt completely fine the next day.

Make sure you clean your bathtub with a natural cleaner before getting into the bath because you don’t want any built-up grime or dirt entering your skin. Fill your bathtub up with hot water and dissolve 1/2 cup each of bentonite clay and epsom salts, finishing off with 2-3 drops of lavender oil which other than providing calming properties, also helps soften skin and eases digestion.

Soak for 20-40 minutes then really rag doll your way out of the bath as you’ll likely be lightheaded. Slather on coconut oil or whatever your preferred moisturizer is to lock in moisture and then go to bed! Trust me, all you’ll want to do after this is sleep. Don’t make the same mistake as I did of having this right after work because you’ll be comatose for the rest of the evening!

Clay Detox Drink

Okay…so this might gross a few of you out. But bear with me though because as someone who’s battled with digestive issues for years now, this is one thing that has helped me almost instantaneously in some pretty big ways (and trust me, I’ve tried everything!).

First, a little breakdown about why you should consume clay from Wellness Mama:

“Bentonite clay carries a strong negative charge which bonds to the positive charge in many toxins. When it comes in contact with a toxin, chemical, or heavy metal, the clay will absorb the toxin and release its minerals for the body to use. Bentonite also helps get oxygen to cells as it pulls excess hydrogen and allows the cells to replace it with oxygen instead.

Bentonite clay is a common ingredient in detox and cleansing products. It has an alkalizing effect on the body and when taken correctly, it can help balance gut bacteria.”

So in other words, you drink a little bit of clay with a lot of water, it absorbs the bad stuff and it “evacuates” the bad stuff out of your system. And yes, what Shailene Woodley said about using it as a detoxing agent in this Into the Gloss article is true. Treat this as you would psyllium husks – do it at night about an hour before bedtime and drink it with a lot of water.

Since starting this clay regime, I’ve felt more energized, more alert and more balanced in general. Not to mention my tum has been feeling a lot better!

And that’s that! My little love affair with clay, out there for the world to see. I know the internal use might freak out a few people, but at the bottom of the page I’ve provided some additional reading so that you can get all the facts. I am by no means a health practitioner, but I have had such amazing success with these three clay uses that I had to share! Let me know if you have any Q’s in the comments 🙂

Three Reasons to Love Clay:

– Purifying Face Mask

– Detoxifying Bath

– Detoxifying Drink

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3 Reasons to Love Clay

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