Sunday Beautytalk: Clay Masks

 

I love Sundays. That’s when I’m supposed to get some R&R and pamper myself silly.

It’s almost a ritual, but I use one of my clay masks every Sunday to suck the gunk out of my large pores.

Ever since I ordered Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay from Vitacost (http://www.vitacost.com/Aztec-Secret-Indian-Healing-Clay US$6.49), it’s been my de rigeur weekly extracting clay mask. Mixed with organic Apple Cider Vinegar, it’s just fantabulous!

(all photos can be viewed in their original sizes by clicking on them)

The workhorse extraction mask mixture

 Very affordably priced DIY mask. That’s all you need.

It’s actually 100% natural calcium bentonite (green) clay.

Vitacost describes this as:

“World’s Most Powerful Facial”
 Deep Pore Cleansing
100% Natural Calcium Bentonite Clay
 Feel Your Face Pulsate

 Facials, acne, bodywraps, clay baths, foot soaks, chilled clay for knee packs and insect bites!  Enjoy the benefits of clay in your own home.  Beautify & Refresh.

 Supplement Facts

Serving Size: 1 lb

Servings per Container: 10

 

Other Ingredients: 100% natural calcium bentonite (green) clay.

Free Of

Fragrances, animal testing, and animal products

Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Directions

Mix clay with equal parts of raw apple cider vinegar and/or water.  Use a non-metal bowl and utensil.  Stir the mixture into a smooth paste.  Add more clay or liquid as needed.  Apply 1/4 in. to 1/2  to the face or other area.  Let it dry for 5-10 min. for delicate skin and 15-20 min for normal skin.  You will feel a pulling and tightening sensation.  Feel Your Face Pulsate!  Remove clay by washing with warm water.  Slight redness of the skin is normal and will disappear in about 30 minutes.  Removes impurities and dirt from the pores. 

Warnings

For External Use Only.  Discontinue use if irritation occurs.

Disclaimer

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

More Grey than Green to me

Yup, it does do all that it’s touted to. When mixed with apple cider vinegar in equal parts (about a 1.5 flat tablespoon of clay for the face and neck), the vinegar, being acidic (AHA), actually sizzles with the clay added to it, yielding a very smooth mixture when stirred slightly. It’s so fun to watch it fizzle and sizzle. I leave it for about 15 minutes usually, as the clay does dry pretty quickly, making your face pulsate as it pulls the skin contours and tightens them. There’s also usually a warm feeling, owing to the AHA vinegar working it’s exfoliation magic. I rinse off with my facial sponges, requiring several changes of water till everything is off my face.

It’s natural for the face and neck to turn red and this usually only lasts about 30 minutes or so. However, as it’s a strong exfoliating and extraction mix, I like to follow up with a hydrating sheet mask to put back some moisture into the skin. This helps to restore the skin to its normal colour too. Check out the monster trio of photos below 😉

Monster!!!!!!! Run for your lives!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The first 2 show the Aztec clay + acv mixture on my face before it hardens fully and starts cracking. The 3rd photo on the right shows a DIY hydrating sheet mask. You can tell in this photo that my neck is red from the Aztec clay mask. Most of my covered face was too. If you have sensitive or dry skin, I would not advise this ACV + Aztec Clay mask conconction at all. Otherwise, this works heavenly and my skin is left feeling soft and smooth, with possibly fewer blackheads on the nose too.

Here’re a few other masks that I use (or are waiting to be used):

Mild Clay that smells pretty ok

Moroccan Rhassoul Clay is a pretty mild mask compared to the Aztec clay, although it has some extraction qualities too. I usually mix this with hydrosols or aloe vera juice mid-week, if time permits, to do a mild mask on my face for a good, yet gentle cleansing.

Considered HG by many and over-marketed & priced by most Spas.

This is heavenly and I’d use it more often, except it’s such a chore to wash it off cleanly. Even if I use this in the shower, it gets everywhere. The texture is somewhat grainy and can be considered harsh, so if you do use Dead Sea Mineral Mud on the face, please do not rub it around too much. I prefer using this on my upper arms for keratosis pilaris.

Backup Masks

These are new and still in their packaging. The one on the left is a French brand Galenic and I’ve used this particular mask before. This is my 2nd purchase, before I dabbled with DIY clay masks. It’s a gentle mask that exfoliates decently and mildly without overstripping, despite being for oily skin. Moor Mud on the right is from Garden of Wisdom which I’m keeping as a possible alternative to Dead Sea Mineral Mud. We’ll see.

So what’s your Sunday beauty me-time spent on?