Clay therapy is a natural treatment that can prevent unwanted changes in the skin, such as spots, wrinkles and acne. All these problems are common due to daily exposure to sun, wind and pollution.
The white clay is the type most suitable to lighten the skin, softening melasma spots. In addition, it acts as a healing and antioxidant. This is what the beautician LÃvia Rocha guarantees.
“Clays, regardless of colour, are extracted from the soil and composed of microminerals (iron oxide, zinc, magnesium, manganese, aluminum, silicon, potassium, calcium, phosphorus, among others). White clay, in turn, has more aluminum silicate, kaolinite and mineral salts, so it has a pH very close to the skin (between 4.7 and 5.7)”, he explains.
But, besides being beneficial for the face, this natural product is also very suitable for hair health. Want to know more about this subject? Follow it below!
Table of Contents
White clay: what is it for?
“In addition to maintaining the skin’s metabolic functions, it has a lightening, smoothing, moisturizing, revitalizing and healing action, promoting increased oxygenation in congested areas, which is why it is more suitable for sensitive and dehydrated skin,” reveals LÃvia.
Also, according to the professional, this treatment can alleviate melasma, a skin hyperpigmentation caused by dermal dysfunction or inflammation. This is not to mention its performance in the face of stretch marks, an aesthetic issue that bothers many women and is due to the breakage of elastin fibres in the skin.
The use of this lighter clay is indicated for the treatment of dandruff and psoriasis. However, LÃvia Rocha stresses that the product should only be applied on the scalp, not the hair. “If you want the tree to have a beautiful crown, take care of its roots,” explains the specialist in analogy…
How to use it?
There are several ways to use clay therapy, but each has its specificities according to the purpose of the treatment.
On skin and face
According to LÃvia Rocha, before applying this treatment, it is recommended to do a light exfoliation in the desired region. In addition, this exfoliant should be suitable for the skin and not homemade recipes based on coffee or sugar, for example. With clean skin, the result is usually more satisfactory.
After cleaning, you should dry the skin and apply the clay, noting how the product will react. “If it cracks in the first 5 minutes, the skin is malnourished. If it turns yellow, it means that the skin has many free radicals and toxins (excess of preservatives, sugar and salt in the body)”, warns the beautician.
Generally, the mask should be removed soon after it cracks, not exceeding 15 minutes. Removal is done with cold running water, leaving the skin completely free of the product.
“After removing the clay, I recommend applying a tonic that will maintain the skin’s pH balance and a moisturizer or sunscreen,” concludes the professional.
Mask recipe
The esthetic professional created an e-book called “The Secrets of Clays,” which shows which clay best suits each skin type. In this book, she teaches some mask recipes, such as mixing white clay, rosehip oil and chamomile tea.
“Chamomile tea contains flavonoids that will help your skin absorb all the beneficial properties of rosehip, which stimulates rejuvenation and has an anti-wrinkle, anti-pocket and anti-dark circle action. It also has a skin-lightening action”, he says.
How to use
Dilute 1 part clay to 2 parts chamomile tea until it forms a smooth, even paste. Then add three drops of rosehip vegetable oil. Apply on the desired area, let it act for 10 to 30 minutes and remove with running water.
In the hair
Applying to the scalp is even easier than to the skin, as it does not require all the preparation recommended in the previous case. However, hair treatment requires some care about clay preparation, which can be in nature or mixed with other natural products.
The specialist indicates diluting the clay in some tonic or serum in the first case. If you want to reinforce the benefits of this mineral, it is recommended to add aloe vera (aloe vera), liquid Lepanto (vitamin B5) or some vegetable oil.
Aloe vera helps in the treatment of dandruff. Vitamin B complex, on the other hand, increases hair hydration. Finally, vegetable oil, which can be jojoba oil, is ideal for cleaning the strands, leaving them shiny, without dandruff or frizz.
“The important thing is not to leave more than 15 minutes. And if the clay cracks before that, remove it immediately”, he adds.
Curiosities about clay therapy
We’ve sorted out some of the biggest questions about clay treatment; check out the answers!
1. Can you use clay on your face every day?
“I recommend once a week. Enough time for the skin to be able to perceive the treatment and be able to renew itself with more strength and shine naturally”, warns LÃvia.
2. What is the best clay to lighten the skin?
According to the beautician, light shades are the most suitable for whitening. “The darker, the more acidic, and the treatment is for another purpose (acne and oily skin),” he explains.
3. What is the price of this product, and where to buy it?
White clay, like other types, can be purchased at pharmacies, natural food stores or street markets. Her kilo is usually sold for less than R$15.
4. Which clay is better: green or white?
“In clay therapy, there is no better clay based only on its colour. Each treatment and skin type has its most suitable clay. In the case of green clay, it is the source of the greatest diversity of microminerals. Widely used in body care for cellulite treatment and measures reduction due to its detoxifying and anti-edema effect, toning and nourishing the tissue”, reveals LÃvia Rocha.
Contraindications and side effects
White clay has no contraindications, and side effects only arise if misused (often a week) or mixed with some product unsuitable for the skin. Among the reactions, we can mention irritation, itching and redness in the applied area.
My name is Ellie Lauderdale, MD and I am USA based professional Nutritionist .
I am a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist and board certified specialist in sports dietetics who is trained in integrative medicine. I have worked with hundreds of clients, from those suffering with chronic disease to professional and olympian athletes. My goal is to help optimize you from the inside so that you can feel, perform, and look your best on the outside.