Cosmetic Clay in Hair Care

Cosmetic clay in hair care is very popular. If you care about your hair you must acquire cosmetic clay and use it regularly. It is extremely versatile and will be preserved for a long time. I’ll tell you next how you can use cosmetic clays in hair care.

Clay has always been used in cosmetics. Clay may even be the oldest ingredient in cosmetics. The use of clay has become widespread so that it is already widely used in both natural cosmetics and in supermarket products. The famous World Brands are also adding clay to their products.

Clay is recommended for many skin problems like acne as well as impure skin. In addition, clay is one of the best natural ingredients in hair products.

Why clay is good for hair

Clay is antimicrobial. As the scalp becomes irritated, clay can soothe and balance excessive microbial growth. Clay is rich in minerals, from which the scalp benefits. Minerals are easily absorbed deeper through the scalp. Clay also helps to soften hair. If you suffer from persistent hair, which always bends in the wrong direction, you can find the aid from clay. It helps to keep hair where you want them to be. It straightens hair and is therefore unsuitable for the curly girl methods. Cosmetic clay in hair care is also a powerful detoxifier.

What is clay

Clay is finely grinded natural rock material. There are several different types of clays existing. Their composition depends on the mineral composition of the local rock. Clay contains all the minerals that are present in the rock. Cosmetic clays contain different percentages of

• Silicon
• Calcium
• Sodium
• Potassium
• iron
• Magnesium

What makes clay a cosmetic ingredient

Clay has special properties that are very difficult and impossible to create in synthetic products. Clay is negatively charged and therefore attracts heavy metals, liquids and oils. So, clay is a unique product in skin and hair detox treatments.

Clay is a non-toxic natural product. You can use it safely. Clay is not absorbed into the skin, but the mechanism works just the opposite. Clay absorbs moisture, oils and impurities from the skin.

Where can I use clay

Cosmetic clay in hair care is versatile.You can use cosmetic clay for many purposes in hair care. All you have to do is choose the right clay. Learn to find the right one for the right purpose.

Here is a brief list of the most common cosmetic clays

There are really many different types of clay. Many cosmetic clays such as illite clay also have several qualities. I have selected the most common and the most famous clays in the world that are easy to obtain.

Please bear in mind that each type of clay is different product. For example, green illite clay and green French clay are often mixed. They look like the same, but their mineral content is quite different. These clays also behave quite differently. In France there is also has green illite clay, but it is not as appreciated as genuine green French clay.

Bentonite clay

Bentonite clay is fine-rubbed volcanic ash, or montmorillonite. Now when you know the origin of this clay, you realize that it is quite different from our own Finnish clay. Bentonite clay is highly cleansing and absorbs environmental pollution and heavy metals.

Bentonite clay absorbs water like a sponge. You can make a soft, smooth, greenish-grey paste that is easy to apply to the scalp based on bentonite clay.

• Bentonite clay is suitable for normal and oily hair in detox treatments to remove sebum and impurities from the hair
• Bentonite clay supports curly hair and makes it curl better
• Bentonite clay, with its rich minerals, cares for the scalp and hair
• Bentonite clay is suitable for deep hair cleaning before colouring

Kaolin clay

Kaolin clay, aka white cosmetic clay, is a very gentle clay. It is almost pure white in colour. Kaolin is also suitable for the more sensitive scalp. For very greasy skin, kaolin is too mild. Then you should choose another clay option.

White clay is as dusty as powder.

White clay mixes well with water but darkens slightly when wet. The moist kaolin paste is easy to apply. It has a very fine texture and feels therefore slippery on the fingers.

• Kaolin cleans dry and sensitive scalp effectively without over-drying.
• Kaolin increases the blood circulation of the scalp and thus prevents hair loss.
• Kaolin improves the elasticity of the hair
• Kaolin prevents dandruff

Rhassoul clay

Rhassoul clay comes from Morocco. Mining of Rhassoul clay takes time and requires lots of labour so it is not very cheap. It is clearly darker in colour than other clays. It is brown-red in colour. Rhassoul clay absorbs oils and liquids efficiently. Therefore, it should not be used for the most sensitive skin types.

You can easily mix Rhassoul clay with water or other liquid. The mixture, a chocolate brown paste, is easy to apply to the scalp.

• Rhassoul clay gently removes impurities from the hair, leaving some of the natural grease in hair
• Rhassoul Clay is not suitable for deep hair cleaning before colouring unless you have a very dry scalp
• Rhassoul clay is suitable for the treatment of irritated scalp due to its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic properties.
• Rhassoul Clay is suitable for regular hair wash for normal to oily hair as it does not absorb too much grease from the hair.

French Green Clay

Sometimes French green clay is mixed with green illite clay. French green clay is a completely different product and comes specifically from France. French green clay has a very exceptional mineral content. It has been found to have an antibacterial effect on the skin and scalp. French green clay has been studied at the University of Arizona in 2007. The mineral contents of the clays are very individual. No other green clay has resulted similar effects. The anti-bacterial green clay is specifically mined in France.

French green clay mixes poorly with water and often remains gruel-like mixture. It does not absorb water and does not expand at all. The clay is light green in colour and slightly granular.

• French green clay is suitable for treating irritated scalp because it has been proven to be very effective in preventing and controlling inflammation.
• French Green Clay is suitable for hair and scalp detox treatments for people with normal or oily scalp
• French green clay cares and treats both hair and scalp.
• French green clay makes hair shiny and easy to style

Illite clay

Illite clay is named after Illinois because it was first discovered there. Today, illite clay is mined from many other places around the globe. For example, red and pink illite clay is mined in France.

Illite clay is available in different colours. The clay is not coloured, but the colour comes from iron. If clay is high in iron, it is more red.

Illite clay mixes well with water. It is an ideal ingredient for facial masks. Illite clay is the most powerful and most drying of these clays. You should not use this clay if your skin is dry and sensitive. Otherwise, illite clay is very similar to bentonite clay.

• Illite clay is suitable for hair detox treatments for persons with oily scalp
• Illite clay is suitable for deep hair cleansing before colouring if your scalp is greasy
• Illite clay removes dead skin cells from the scalp
• Illite clay nourishes and mineralizes hair and scalp

How to Choose the Right Clay

First and foremost, you need to be aware of your own skin type and scalp. Most clays are suitable for normal or oily scalp. If your scalp is greasy, feel free to choose whatever clay you want.

Kaolin is suitable for dry and sensitive scalp

If you have a dry and sensitive scalp, you have to forget about any clay that cleans effectively. They dry your hair too much. Of course, you can slightly soften the cleansing power of the clay by reducing the duration of action.

Kaolin is the mildest clay

If your scalp is delicate and dry you can choose kaolin clay, a white cosmetic clay. It’s the mildest clay you can have. Kaolin is used for many purposes and is also suitable for deep cleansing clay for scalp. For oily scalp, kaolin is too mild clay. You can read more about kaolin here.

Irritated and inflamed scalp benefits from French green clay

If you suffer from seborrheic dermatitis, you may want to try French Green Clay. All other clays are anti-inflammatory as well because they are alkaline and contain healing minerals. Problems like scalp acne and eczema will be also alleviated by clay treatments.

How to use clay

The basic guideline is easy. You need the right clay and water.

• Take about 2 tablespoons of clay and mix with water to form a paste.
• Wet your hair thoroughly and dry off excess moisture with a towel
• Apply the paste to the scalp
• Leave on for 5-10 minutes, do not rub as clay is material made of rock and rubbing can damage the hair
• Rinse your hair with plenty of lukewarm water. Check that all the clay is rinsed off accurately.
• Because the clay is alkaline, you will still need sour rinsing

Sour rinses

• ½ dl (1,69 us fl oz) apple wine vinegar
• 2 ½ dl (6,76 us fl oz) water

Mix vinegar and water and rinse your hair. If you prefer, you can gently rinse the vinegar off your hair.

Here are the most common clays listed. You will find your own clay product easily once you understand the difference between them. It’s a good idea to buy a small quantity of different types of clay and try them out at home. Then you see how they behave differently. There is a huge number of other types of cosmetic clays available. When used externally, they are all safe. The properties of more specific clay qualities can only be found through experimentation.

Have you tried clay in hair care? Please tell us about your experience and what kind of clay did you use!