Bentonite clay or in many cultures also known as Healing clay is a wellness treatment for body and skin cleaning and detoxification. It is made of volcanic ash found in Fort Benton, Wyoming, where numerous volcanos are present.
The Bentonite clay itself has a range of nutrients such as calcium, magnesium, silica, sodium, copper, iron and potassium. When ingested into the body, its vitamins and minerals will help remove toxins, chemicals, impurities and “heavy metals” from the gut, skin, and mouth.
It acts as a perfect clay mask when combined with water and left to dry on the skin. The clay is able to bind to bacteria and toxins that live on the surface of the skin and extract them from the pores. This helps to reduce the outbreak of blemishes, alleviate redness, and also to fight allergic reactions from irritating lotions or face washes, and even helps heal poison ivy.
This clay also acts as an antibiotic when applied topically to the skin. It can help calm various skin infections, like contact dermatitis, and speed up the healing time of wounds, even when prescription antibiotics aren’t doing the job.
Topical application of bentonite clay has even been shown to heal Buruli ulcer - skin infection resulting from Mycobacterium ulcerans bacteria.
If we managed to get you to try it, here are some ways of adding this natural treasure in your beauty routine:
- Add a ¼ of a cup of the clay to the bath and massage the skin with it and allow the clay to dissolve into the water and soak it in, then rinse off well with clean water.
- Make a face mask by applying the clay directly onto the skin, especially on the areas with blemishes, red spots, irritations or scarring. Allow the clay to dry for about 20 minutes and then rinse it off with warm water. It’s recommended to use the clay mask one or twice per week for best results.