Welcome to the third in the series of my "Love the Skin You`re In".
In this third part I wanted to talk about clays, and clay face masks and how they can have a huge benefit on the skin, if we chose the correct one, suited to our skin type. As face masks are very much a beauty "buzz" word at the moment, I thought this would give you a little heads up on what all the hype is about?
In this third part I wanted to talk about clays, and clay face masks and how they can have a huge benefit on the skin, if we chose the correct one, suited to our skin type. As face masks are very much a beauty "buzz" word at the moment, I thought this would give you a little heads up on what all the hype is about?
The history of the face mask:
Applying face masks and using a selection of cosmetic products and ingredients has been a ritual that has been practised since ancient times. We now know that the first ever cosmetic product made was in fact a face mask. The first Egyptian face masks were made of clay. It is said that Cleopatra herself applied a dead sea mud face mask twice a week to cleanse her skin.
Face masks can offer a whole wealth of benefits to the skin, for example they can nourish, replenish, hydrate, detox, cleanse and much more! They have certainly become a buzz word this year.
Face masks can offer a whole wealth of benefits to the skin, for example they can nourish, replenish, hydrate, detox, cleanse and much more! They have certainly become a buzz word this year.
Whats all the fuss?
Our beauty regime shouldn't just start with cleansing and finish with moisturising. But lets be honest, there are so many different products and ingredients out there its hard to make a decision and understand that its right for you and your skin at that time of using. Skin can change depending on the weather, our emotional state, our diets and not forgetting our environment.
So with all this in mind and something to consider, you now need to understand what each clay does for your skin, to then make a collective decision on the one suitable for your skin type.
So with all this in mind and something to consider, you now need to understand what each clay does for your skin, to then make a collective decision on the one suitable for your skin type.
Lets take a closer look at the different clays and how they work on the skin. I've added what skin type each one is best suitable for.
Kaolin Clay:
The appearance of this clay is a fine powered substance that comes in a variety of colours, the most common being an off white.
Its fine texture make it a favourite to add into other projects such as cosmetics like eye shadows, bath bombs and soap. It is a gentle clay with less oil absorbing abilities than most clays, which makes it a good source to chose if you have a sensitive to dry skin type.
Its fine texture make it a favourite to add into other projects such as cosmetics like eye shadows, bath bombs and soap. It is a gentle clay with less oil absorbing abilities than most clays, which makes it a good source to chose if you have a sensitive to dry skin type.
Rose Clay:
This clay has a lovely soft pink shade and is considered a type of Kaolin clay. Its texture is a fine powder and has a gentle oil absorption property. This makes it a great source to use on dry skin types.
French or Green Clay:
This is probably the one that we most associate with clay face masks. Pictures taken of people with clay masks on usually show this one due to its fantastic green colour pigment. This pigment comes from decomposed plant matter and iron oxides. The clay originates from France and is known for its amazing oil absorption properties. Which makes it a great source to use on oily skin types.
Bentonite Clay:
This clay originates from Volcanic ash. The U.S is the top producer of this type of clay. In beauty and bath products this type of clay is used to give "slip". This makes it great in products such as shaving soaps to help with razor glide. Its texture is fine and offers great oil absorption properties, in fact it is able to absorb more than its mass in water. This therefore makes this clay a great choice for oily skins.
Green Zeolite Clay:
The texture of this clay is courser than most other clays. Because of this, it is often used as an exfoliator as well as a clay face mask. It originates from Zeolites which are micro-porous minerals that form when volcanic rocks and ash react with alkaline groundwater.
Sea Clay:
This clay has a dark green, grey appearance and originates from the seafloor mud of our oceans, formed millions of years ago. It is a common ingredient used in face masks and is best suited for normal to oily skin types.
Final thoughts.....
I hope this has given you a simple and easy to follow insight into the world of clay face masks? Remember, just like cosmetics it may be that you need to use more than one type of clay on your skin to gain the most out of your face mask. For example, you may have an oily T zone, but dry cheeks in which case you can combine the relevant clays to match the areas that need more or less oil absorption. And remember.....dont forget the neck area! This is an area of the face we tend to forget. It needs extra care and attention because its a much more delicate area. So apply your face mask down onto your necks as well.
Look out for my face mask recipe that I will be sharing with you soon to correspond with today's blog topic.
Look out for my face mask recipe that I will be sharing with you soon to correspond with today's blog topic.
Until next time...
Love & Sparkles
Caroline Beauty Geek
Xx
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