Before we get started, let’s settle the question , what is bentonite clay?
Bentonite clay is a detoxifying clay that has been used over centuries across different continents for various purposes from beauty to health. The clay gets its detoxifying agents from its highly negative nature, which means that it does an incredible job absorbing positively charged toxins.
Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links, this means that at no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you make a purchase through the links below.
Personal experience:
My introduction to bentonite clay was a complete accident. I was looking for a better, more natural way to wash my hair and in my research, I came across the concept of washing hair with clay.
The idea of using clay for hair was not a completely foreign idea to me because I knew that the Massai in Kenya use red clay native to Northern Kenya to strengthen and cleanse their hair.
Well, I figured what harm would it do to actually try it and see how it works. I bought my clay from Amazon, and with further research, discovered that this amazing product could do more for me than just clean my hair!
1.Hair
Everyone looks for ways to make their hair healthier, longer, stronger etc. Not that bentonite clay will handle all those worries for you, it won’t. But, it will remove toxins and buildup from your hair and scalp, making it much easier to manage and will balance your hair’s ph level which will make your tresses much stronger.
After a bentonite clay cleanse, your hair will be squeaky clean without the crunchy or stripped down feel that comes after sulfate filled shampoo. Bentonite clay is an excellent natural substitute to regular sulphate and other chemical filled shampoos, because other than cleansing your hair, it removes toxins and adds minerals that naturally exist in the clay to your hair.
For naturally curly hair, bentonite clay does an incredible job bringing out your hair’s natural curl pattern which would be an incredible look to rock for a wash and go.
Recipe:
- 1/3 cup bentonite clay,
- 3 teaspoons honey,
- 1/2 cup purified water, rose water, or orange blossom water.
(P.S: The company that sells the rose and orange blossom water, also sell a combo pack of both on Amazon).
Whenever I use rose or orange blossom water, I mix in 1/2 a cup, then if I need any more liquid, I add purified water to the mixture.
Add clay or water until you get your desired consistency. The amount you need will change based on the length and thickness of your hair.
2.Face
Other than removing toxins from your face, bentonite clay also does an awesome job cleaning and shrinking pores, reducing acne and acne scars, helping with the reduction of sebum (natural oil produced by the face) and reduces the appearance of wrinkes among other benefits.
Bentonite clay is a wonderful substitute for commercial chemical filled masks and powders because it is natural and does more for your face than takes away from it. As a bonus, after a bentonite clay mask, your face will feel softer and have a healthy glow.
Recipe: (More mask recipes here)
- 2 tablespoons of clay
- 1 teaspoon honey or aloe vera gel
- 2-5 tablespoons of purified water
- Fill a spray bottle with rose or blossom water
Apply the mask evenly on your face and neck including, eyelids, jaw and your whole forehead. As the clay dries, you will start feeling it pulling and tightening on your face, don’t be alarmed, this is normal.
As the tightening increases, take the spray bottle and spritz your face to reactivate the clay. Keep the mask on for 15-30 minutes depending on your comfort level.
Wash off with warm water and pat your face dry.
3.Full body detox:
There are ways to fully detoxify the body internally and externally with bentonite clay
- Internally: Food grade bentonite clay can be bought for this purpose, which would help detoxify the system of heavy metals, toxins, and acids.
- If you chose to ingest bentonite clay, read this article for basic bentonite clay facts and risks before using it.
- External: There are two ways to fully detox the whole body externally with bentonite clay.
- First, by doing a full body bentonite clay mask which would probably take some serious time and serious effort and occasionally require the assistance of a second person.
- Second, by doing a detoxifying bentonite clay bath. This is a much easier step of the two which I do myself and would recommend for anyone wanting to externally detoxify with bentonite clay. (Read this article for bath recipes)
4. DIY cosmetics:
Majority of commercially sold cosmetics are filled with chemicals and toxic heavy metals that do serious damage on our health and reduce our chances of wading off big diseases such as cancer and autoimmune disease.
With that said, it is important to find healthy natural substitutes that do the job of keeping us clean, smelling fresh and looking beautiful, without adding toxic elements that harm our well-being.
Bentonite clay is an excellent ingredient for making DIY cosmetic products, other than doing the basic job that other cosmetics do, it detoxifies the body as well. Bentonite clay is wonderful for making detoxifying deodorant, toothpaste, makeup, and masks.
Related Posts:
- 5 killer ways to use honey in your beauty regimen + recipes
- How to use bentonite clay + 10 bath and mask recipes.
- 5 Bentonite Clay FACTS you MUST know before using it
