Skin Care Trend: Why Clay Face Masks are Great for Your Skin

There’s a new trendy ingredient in skin care, but there’s a catch: it’s not really new. In fact, this ingredient is ancient! We’re talking about clays, the miracle material of old. Used in the past for practices as diverse as treating upset stomach, creating pottery, and of course, skin care, clay is making a resurgence as a practical, potent ingredient for various concerns.

In this blog we’re going to go over some of the reasons why you’ll want to make sure you have some clay in your cabinets—meaning clay-based skin care, of course!

Clay Throughout History

Clay is one of the most important materials the human race has relied on to survive. Used since before recorded history for building materials, tools and for water storage and pottery, clay has always managed to keep up with the times. It is estimated that between one half and two thirds of the world still lives in buildings made from clay. While there are a variety of clays in use these days with a variety of applications, for our purposes we’re only concerned with one: clay for your skin.

Clay as a Skin Care Ingredient

Clays have been applied to the skin since the dawn of civilization for both medicinal and skin care purposes.  Did you know not all clays are alike? The benefits of clay can greatly vary, depending their composition. Let’s run down some different clays and their uses.

Diatomaceous Earth is a clay made up of fossilized algae known as diatoms. These little symmetrical structures are perfect as an abrasive and will help to slough off dead surface skin.

Illite, or French green clay, is also pretty unique. Differing from other clays in that its optimal color is green from plant chlorophyll, not off-white or grey, this powerful material is great at absorbing oil from the skin. It’s so effective that it’s said even raw eggs covered in Illite clay lose more weight over time than untouched raw eggs without damaging the egg shell!

Kaolin Clay is great for dry skin as it can absorb oils without drying, and can reduce the appearance of redness and irritation.

Clay Face Masks – Where can you find them? 

If you’re not fortunate enough to have an open mud/clay pit in your backyard you can take a dip in, lucky for you we’ve got the solution. We recently debuted our FUSION Face Masks for at-home use, and clay is found in all four face masks!

• Chocofina Moisturizing Mask contains Kaolin Clay, which helps draw excess oil from the skin surface allowing Cocoa to hydrate the skin.
• Berryfina Brightening Mask is a blend of blueberries and strawberries coupled with Illite clay, leaving skin with a bright, clean glow. The next two masks have all three clays combined, so dirt and oil don’t stand a chance.
• Matchafina Cleansing Mask is made from Matcha tea, which unlike green tea, is grown in the shade so as not to be degraded by sunlight. This soothing tea, when paired with the power of clays, is a deep cleansing powerhouse that softens and mattifies the skin.
• Pumpkinfina Multivitamin Mask works in conjunction with the clays, so while Illite, Diatomaceous Earth and Kaolin Clay cleanse and lift oil and dirt, the skin has less debris on it and can be in contact with more of the rich pumpkin and vanilla extracts found in the mask.

If you’re looking for a solution to oily problem skin, look no further than the Hydra Medic Sea Mud Perfecting Mask. It has Kaolin Clay which is ideal for absorbing excess surface oil from skin, and in conjunction with other beneficial ingredients like ichthammol and eucalyptus, will leave your skin feeling clean and refreshed.

So get back to basics and incorporate some clay in your life, your pores and problem skin will thank you!