Decoding the Beauty Difference of Clays and Muds

 

Clay and mud are earth-based ingredients that can offer a lot to a complexion. However, there is a difference in how these natural ingredients work to treat the skin. In order to get the most benefits, it helps to know about decoding the beauty difference of clays and muds when it comes to your skin’s particular needs.   Otherwise, you could risk using the wrong one and make your skin problem even worse such as with extra dryness.

For the most part, clays are sought more for their drying properties due to their mineral makeup. If tend to have an oily complexion, acne or just breaking out, a clay facial mask could help normalize your skin by cutting the amount of sebum.

On the other hand, mud in facial masks tend not to be as drying while enhancing blood circulation. Usually, commercial mud facial masks have other skin advantageous ingredients such as honey, shea butter, green tea among others along with mud such as mineral-rich volcanic mud. A mud facial mask can best benefit normal and dry skin with how it softens, brightens and revitalizes the skin.  It can encourage fresh cells to emerge from beneath the surface so the skin appears younger with greater elasticity. Unlike cosmetic clay, mud is water-based and can heal skin tissue issues and is wonderful in DIY skin care recipes also.

Why Decoding Clays and Muds Matter

Determining what type of clay or mud to look for can be confusing, but here is a quick summary. Bentonite clay is a milder clay with about a third of its composition from the rich minerals such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium and silica deposited from volcanic ash. This clay can draw out impurities from how the negatively charged particles can work on the skin. This variety of clay can swell for tightening and rebalancing oily and acne prone skin to control the sebum.  In fact, you might want to try my DIY Oily Skin Neutralizing Mask that I used to make when my skin was oilier than it is now.

Rhassoul is a Moroccan clay that is more moisturizing that originated from lava. It contains minerals of magnesium and silica. This clay also deep cleans, exfoliates and purges toxins and impurities from congested pores, but more gently than bentonite clay. It can be mild enough to be used on all skin types.

Kaolin clay is what I prefer to use on my dry skin. There are several sorts of kaolin clay, but white is the mildest with how it handles dry, sensitive skin. Some of the other kaolin clays such as the French green clay, rhassoul clay or bentonite clays, which are better for those with more oily or acne prone complexions draw out the impurities more intensively for my liking than this even gentler clay that helps freshen up and renew my complexion.

Fuller’s earth clay is best suited for those with very oily skin. My feeling is that it can be too drying on other types of skin.

French green clay, also known as Illite, is another popular clay that you may want to consider with its micro molecules. The difference to its mineral content was the effect of plants that mingled with earth minerals of calcium, aluminum, magnesium, silica, phosphorous, copper and zinc to give it that green color and oil zapping power. Not all French green clay originated in France, but came come from other locations around the world such as Wyoming, Europe or China.

Dead Sea mud is also another option that can improve a complexion with its unique mineral composition that includes magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium. Those with psoriasis, eczema and acne may find it particularly helpful for how it can manage those skin conditions through exfoliation and adjusting the skin’s pH.

Decoding the beauty difference in clays and muds is easier once you analyze your skin’s needs and issues as well as factor in cost. Doing a bit of research and comparison shopping may be all it takes to get the complexion that you always longed for.