the face mask that has it all!

White clay is an outstanding natural ingredient for facials and especially for making your homemade beauty masks if you are used to creating your own cosmetics, because it is a neutral and soft clay – and even the softest of all – which allows us to use it regardless of skin type. Particularly suitable for dry, sensitive, fragile and delicate skin due to its great softness, it is also readily used on normal and combination skin, and even on oily skin. It is also called kaolin, a name which comes from its discovery, the first white clay deposit having been discovered in the city of Kao-Ling in China. But it is also sometimes called a little more complex white clay kaolinite. Before landing in our cosmetics or in our bathroom, the white clay is extracted from the rocks before being dried and crushed to be reduced into a white powder that can be used for making beauty masks based on of clay.

Where does the white color of white clay come from?

Kaolin owes its white color (to slightly gray sometimes) to its high concentration of alumina (it contains on average between 20% and 30%) as well as to its low iron oxide content, the iron oxide being at the origin of the intense red hue of red clay which contains a lot of it, and of the pink shade of pink clay which contains less than red.

What are the benefits of white clay?

Among all the clays, white clay stands out above all from the others (green clay, red clay, pink clay, yellow clay) by its softness. Like all clays, it is certainly endowed with absorbent properties, but it is less absorbent than the others which also makes it less drying and less aggressive for the skin. It thus offers a purifying effect and gently mattifies the skin because it is less active than the others. And its purifying effect doesn't stop there. Thanks to the small size of its grains, this fine powder also reveals exfoliating properties that allow it to act as a real gentle exfoliation on the skin, a boon for facials! It will thus cleanse the epidermis effectively but very delicately, by dislodging impurities and loosening the small dead skin which prevents the skin from renewing itself properly, just like any scrub.

White clay also differs from other types of clays by its high content of silica and mineral salts, which is a real asset for having beautiful skin. It contains, for example, potassium, sodium, calcium and magnesium which have moisturizing properties for the skin and allow it to be intensely remineralized to boost cell renewal, soften it and restore its radiance. This is why it is particularly recommended for dry skin and people with a dull complexion.

To better understand its action, we must look at the properties of clays in general. Clays adsorb, that is, they hold certain molecules and fix them to their surface. A capacity that they have due to their charge of negative ions (linked to their mineral content) and which allows them to attract opposite ions (positive) and exchange them for others once in contact with the skin . This is what allows them both to detoxify the skin by ridding it of toxins and impurities, but also to exchange them for minerals to benefit the skin. The more the clay is concentrated in mineral salts, the more it will be negatively charged and able to offer this action. In other words, white clay is a champion at remineralizing the skin.

Thanks to the various minerals it contains, it is therefore far from just cleansing and able to fight against imperfections without irritating the skin. It is also very soothing and therefore useful for relieving feelings of discomfort (tightness, overheating) and reducing redness. But it is also healing which makes it interesting for the care of damaged skin that it helps to repair even in the event of wounds because of its natural antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties which then combine with its action on cell renewal for avoid infections and heal the skin faster. Its healing properties come more particularly from its high alumina content which is renowned for its restorative power.
Less known but just as tempting, its firming action also makes it an ideal facial treatment for mature skin because white clay tones the skin and thus allows it to benefit from its anti-aging benefits. It fights against the loss of firmness and the establishment of wrinkles, and therefore proves to be a good natural anti-wrinkle.

In summary, white clay purifies the skin and tightens the pores to fight against imperfections without ever being aggressive for the skin, maintains a good level of hydration and thins the skin with minerals to promote its regeneration, its radiance, its elasticity. and his youth. No wonder, then, that it is a key asset in face masks!

How to make a mask with white clay?

If you don't want to buy a ready-made white clay mask in a tube and prefer to make your own homemade beauty mask from white clay, it is totally possible, and it is even quite simple! Generally, the preparation of your mask home-made will only take you a few minutes.

You will need some powdered white clay for this. You can find it in cosmetic brands expert in clays like the Cattier brand or the Argiletz brand which offer organic white clay, or on the Aroma-Zone website which specializes in raw materials. natural. In all cases, preferably choose a super fine powder, that is to say composed of very small grains, which is therefore more suitable for this cosmetic use.

Then all you have to do is mix it with a few ingredients including a little mineral water or floral water (or hydrosol), but also possibly vegetable oils or a few drops of essential oils to obtain a kind of paste or cream that you can apply as a mask on your face.

Our advices

• If you want our advice, your best bet is to only opt for organic products when making your own homemade beauty product, especially when you are going to apply it to your face.
• To make your preparations, always use a wooden spoon and not a metal cutlery because the metal can alter the properties of the clay. Likewise, prefer to use glass or ceramic containers rather than plastic or steel as these materials can also affect the properties of the clay powder.

Our white clay mask recipes for all skin types

Illuminating white clay mask for normal skin

• In a bowl, put a tablespoon of organic carrot oily macerate for an illuminating and healthy glow effect.
• Add two drops of ylang-ylang essential oil – an essential oil perfect for boosting tired skin and restoring glow to dull complexions – and dilute them in the oily macerate.
• Scatter the equivalent of two tablespoons of powdered white clay in it and mix to obtain a paste with a creamy texture.
• Apply the mask to your face and leave it on for a quarter of an hour before rinsing it off to reveal your glowing complexion.

Purifying white clay mask for combination to oily skin

• Put a tablespoon of jojoba oil with rebalancing properties in a bowl then add two drops of essential oil of tea tree with purifying properties before mixing the two oils.
• Then add a tablespoon of Roman chamomile hydrosol, this floral water with anti-inflammatory properties being ideal for capricious skin or prone to inflamed pimples.
• Then add two tablespoons of organic white clay powder to the bowl and mix well to obtain a smooth paste.
• Apply the mask to your face, avoiding the eye area, then leave on for ten to fifteen minutes before rinsing.

Here you are with purified skin and tightened pores.

Moisturizing white clay mask for dry skin

• In a bowl, put the equivalent of a tablespoon of sesame oil or black seed oil, both of which are perfect vegetable oils for nourishing dry skin.
• Add two tablespoons of organic white clay powder.
• Mix well until you get a paste.
• If the consistency isn't creamy enough, add a little mineral water or better, hydrating rose water to the mixture and mix again for a creamy texture that will be easier to apply to the face.
• Apply the moisturizing and revitalizing mask on your face then wait a good ten minutes before rinsing it off.

Your skin will be nourished, softer and more beautiful.

Anti-aging white clay mask for mature skin

• In a bowl, put the equivalent of two tablespoons of organic white clay powder.
• Add a tablespoon of sweet almond oil or argan oil, both of which are nourishing and regenerating, and therefore ideal for preventing signs of aging and caring for mature skin.
• Mix well until you get a creamy paste.
• If you don't get a satisfactory consistency, add a little mineral water to the mixture and mix again to get a kind of cream that's easy to apply.
• Apply this anti-aging mask to your face and leave it on for a quarter of an hour before rinsing it off.

Soothing white clay mask for irritated skin

• Pour two tablespoons of calendula hydrosol with calming properties in a bowl.
• Add two tablespoons of powdered white clay and mix.
• Add a tablespoon of sweet almond vegetable oil and mix again.
• Apply this soothing mixture to your face and leave it on for a quarter of an hour to soothe and comfort your skin.
• Rinse.

Our advices

• When applying your mask to the face, be sure to apply it in a thick layer to prevent it from drying too quickly. Indeed, like all clays, white clay masks should be rinsed off as soon as they start to dry.
• If you have trouble rinsing off your clay mask, use a reusable makeup remover wipe soaked in lukewarm water to remove the last residue without having to rub your skin.

What is the difference between white clay and green?

Green clay is more absorbent and less soft than white clay. If these two clays both purify the skin and rid it of its toxins, green clay is even more effective in absorbing excess sebum from oily skin and mattifying the epidermis subject to unsightly shine, but it is also more drying. than white clay. This is why green clay is better suited to oily skin than to combination and normal skin which, for its part, should be used sparingly so that green clay does not dry out them, and prefer white clay for a regular use.

White clay mask: a treatment that is not just for the face!

Facial skin is not the only one that can benefit from the benefits of a white clay mask. Masks made from this soft clay can also be applied to the body as a poultice to treat areas of skin prone to pimples, eczema or irritation, or even to heal small wounds faster.
Finally, the white clay mask is also useful in hair care because it can help absorb excess sebum from oily hair at the roots and soothe irritated scalps. Nothing could be simpler: just mix a little white clay with lukewarm water before applying it to the scalp and leaving the clay to act for a few minutes before rinsing it off.

The benefits of white clay:

Video by Louise Lethiec