Thanks Bel for the great mud mask and cucumber tip for soothing red and inflammed skin. I’ve been using a combination of clays mixed with mushed up cucumber over the last few days and it’s really helped sooth my skin after I irritated it with the coconut oil.
I LOVE clay masks because they work by absorbing toxins from the skin by drawing them to the surface and then adhering them to the clay itself. You then wash the toxins away when you wash the clay off your skin.
Bel’s tip about mixing two of the clays together was a really good one and I’m kicking myself that I didn’t think of it before. Because green clay seemed too strong for me when I used it, she suggested mixing it with white clay along with cucumber. Genius. I gave my green clay away because I thought I had an allergy to it, but I might buy some more, that or get some yellow clay because it appears to be a gentler version of green clay.
Different colored clays can be used for different skin conditions. Here’s a list of what clays are best used for what skin condition:
White clay
This clay is the most gentle of all, so it’s best used for those with very sensitive skin. It is also the least ‘drawing’ of the clays so it won’t pull out as many of the toxins as some of the other clays. Interestingly, I’ve read that white clay can also be used to dissolve body odors (just like baking powder!), so I might give it a try as a body deodorant as well by just dusting it under my arms.
Green clay
Green is best for oily and acne prone skin. I found this clay was too strong for me, my face would be red and patchy for an hour or so after I removed it. This may have been because this clay has strong exfoliating, astringent and purifying effects at a cellular level. Green clay is also good for stimulating sluggish circulation and can be used as an antiseptic (so good on bites).
Red clay
This is the first clay I ever bought. I loved the idea of it because it said ‘decongesting’ on the bottle, and I felt like my skin needed a bit of that! Red clay improves the softness and tones and firms the skin.
Yellow clay
Yellow clay is similar to green clay but is much gentler, so is good for mature, dry and dehydrated skin. This is the best clay for tissue repair -scar healing, wounds and sluggish circulation, so a great one for helping heal those stubborn acne scars.
But what exactly is the clay?
Don’t worry, you’re not putting dirt on your face. Well, actually you are, but it’s not like it’s dirt from your garden. These clays are especially mined and then sun dried to a nice soft powdery form. They’re all natural which is great. In fact, clay has been used as natural skin care for thousands of years.
If you’re buying clay, it’s best to look for one that’s been sun dried because the clay then retains 100% of its natural trace elements ensuring activity levels are at their highest.
And here’s a scary picture of me wearing the mask (it’s good for a laugh anyway …).
Fran
Fran Kerr is the founding editor of High on Health. To cure your acne, sign up to Fran's FREE acne cure mini-course or download her latest how to guide, Eat Away Your Acne.
22 responses ↓
Good job adding the cucumber. It’s very soothing to irritated skin. That’s why you see people putting it on their eyes to reduce puffiness.
Yeah, I’ve got a really embarrassing video in here somewhere of me with cucumbers and tea bags on my eyes. I love cucumber (and it tastes good too :P)
I’m male, nearly 50. I’ve had skin problems throughout my life. Acne seems to have morphed into Rosea - a skin condition that I currently control by taking oxytetracycline tablets. They do seem to work, so if anyone has a chronic problem, and is out of their teens, its worth investigating.
David
Hi David, has your skin completely cleared up? I’ve never heard of oxytetracycline tablets before, what are they?
That’s interesting how your skin condition turned into rosacea. I’ve been reading a little about that condition ..there seems to be 3 different types that you can get. My friend has it but just on his nose, so he always has a red nose even though the rest of his face is not red.
I’m interested in trying these clay-based masks; they sound like they would work really well from the research that you’ve done. But right now I’m using a doctor prescribed cream and I’m unsure if the medicine would react badly with the cream or not. I already have sensitive skin (I used that Proactiv for 2 years and my skin is still suffering from it!) and I’m worried that the clay will only aggrivate my skin. @_@
Hey Fran, great demonstration, I’m glad you liked the cucumber! And don’t worry about using it cold - it makes it even more soothing and calming to the skin (as i’m sure you can feel) but if you want to open up the pores so they are cleansed deeper, you can always press a warm face cloth into the skin a few times before applying the clay.
Happy masking!
Hi Kairstin, I think this is a question for a beauty therapist. You could probably try the clay mask before you use the cream. The clay is 100% natural so I don’t think it would interfere with topical creams - but yeah ..best to ask a doctor or beauty therapist.
Hi Kairstin, as Fran suggested you’re safest route would be to confirm with your doctor that this is okay, however from my experience and education as a Beauty Therapist, clay masks are suitable for all skin types no matter how sensitive.
This does depend on which clay you’re using (I would suggest white/pink for very sensitive, or even blue if you can get your hands on it), and what you add to it (I recommend avoiding essential oils, at least until you’r skin has calmed down). But as a general rule, clays such as these are very calming and the risk of causing irritation is very low.
I’d highly recommend doing a patch test under your jaw line, just apply a thin layer of a mask (just clay and water) and leave till it dries (aprox 5 minutes if it’s thin). If there’s no irritation at all then you will be safe using it all over.
However again, if you’re hesitant about it then it’s much better to get confirmation from your doctor or a pharmacists who knows exactly what cream you’re using. Better to do the treatment when you’re mind is at ease, than attempt it when you’re expecting the worse!
Thank you both for the advice. I’ll talk to my pharmacist as soon as I can to see if there would be any side effects.
Hi Fran,
Thanks for the video and the details on the different types of clay. The last time I used a clay mask it was the kind that was already pre-mixed - I’ve never tried mixing them together like you did, very cool.
Great ideas! I have adult acne. The dermatologist said it is technically called peri-oral dermatitis and is related to rosacea.
Oxytetracycline is an antibiotic and does treat the underlying bacterial infection causing all the havoc on your face. However, being female, taking antibiotics frequently causes other much more uncomfortable problems than acne does on your face. I only do antibiotic treatment when I start to look worse than my high school students.
Otherwise, I use a very mild cleanser (Cetaphil) and moisturizer (Cetaphil again), but have been looking for something equally as mild to help draw things out to keep the problem from returning.
Standard facials don’t work for me because they are too irritating. I’m going to try the white and red clay mix with the cucumber. I use cucumber and tea bags on my eyes already with great results.
Thanks for the suggestions and the list of clays and what they do!
Hi Sherri,
Try the green and white clays mixed together, I only used red because I didn’t have any green lying around
I think the green is great for acne prone skin, or ‘peri-oral dermatitis’.
Do you have any comedonal acne (blackheads and whiteheads)? I’ve read somewhere that rosacea acne typically has no comedones.
I’ve heard a lot of great things about cetaphil for acne sufferers. It seems like a good option.
Oh, and that’s GREAT that the cucumber and tea bags have been working for you.
Thanks for reading
Wow, I’ve been happily using green clay (mixed with rosewater) for months and never thought about mixing it with cucumber. I’ll definitely give it a try next time, thanks for the tip!
Fran,
Where would I buy green and white clay?
I do have comedonal acne on my cheeks, nose, beside my eyes, and on my forehead. I have peri-oral dermatitis around my mouth and under my chin. I also have blackheads (but not whiteheads) where I get the dermatitis.
Rosacea and peri-oral dermatitis may be related and treated the same way, but they are not the same beast.
My acne seems aggravated by hormonal changes, too. I’m 47 and beginning to approach menopause, and my face is reacting like I’m going through puberty again. My skin calmed down quite a bit in my late twenties and stayed stable with only a few breakouts a year until my early forties. I never got rid of the blackheads and whiteheads completely, but they were less noticeable. Now I’m back on a monthly breakout roller coaster ride reminiscent of my teenage years.
The only advantage of oily skin is I don’t have wrinkles. I don’t look twenty, but I sure don’t look forty either. Many people have a hard time believing I’m as old as I am. I also live in a warm, very humid climate and that helps prevent wrinkles, too. If there was no bright side to this I think I would be very depressed about it.
Hi Sherri, I bought my clays from a health food store in the vitamins section. You could also try a beauty therapist or a store that sells natural beauty products. There are a lot of online stores that sell the clays too
My mum suffered from acne for the first time in her life when she started going through menopause. I think it’s quite common. You could try visiting a naturopath or some kind of alternative therapist to advise you of the best hormone balancing supplements to take for menopause.
Yeah, you’re luckily with your oily skin actually, and that’s awesome how you look heaps younger
I have dry acne prone skin (and fair skin) so the worst possible combination for wrinkles!
[...] on my skin all night it’s better to have something gentle. You can use any color clays. Read this article for an outline on what each different clay is good [...]
Hey Fran,
I have mild acne on my forehead,nose,chin,and under my eyes. I don’t want to try products and have them not work for me. I heard something about using witch hazel as a toner and then using aloe vera gel? Any thoughts?
Hi Thanushiga, witch hazel and aloe vera are both very healing to the skin but they’re not going to perform miracles. You’re better off taking more of a holistic approach that’s outlined in my mini-course, and using products that contain active ingredients if you want to see immediate results.
Hey Fran,
I recently bought Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturizer and I went on MUA and it had good ratings. I’ve only been using it for a day so far. My skin feels really clean after using it and it sucks up the oil but I think I’ll buy something else for winter because it isn’t that moisturizing. I still don’t have a cleanser though.
Hi Fran! I love your blogs and youthbe videos because they are always very informative and detailed! Just one question about the masks; I know you had a not-so-good experience with the green masks, but I’m seriously considering buying that because my skin is so acne-prone, well only my t-zone is because I have combination skin. So out of all the masks, which helped best with the redness and pimples (plus the little bumps because I have some on my forhead)?? Can I mix the yellow and the green together? Where would I buy the masks, because I live in Canada so I don’t often get a chance to try the skincare stuff that are only available in the states or something. How much are they a bottle? How often would I use it? Haha sorry for asking so many questions but I like to be sure about the details. Anyways, hopefully I get to hear your response soon and I’ll keep watching out for new videos/blogs! Thx :3
Marissa-
- Actually the cucumber helped the best, so make sure you mix cucumber in whatever you buy. The green is best for oily skin. I’m sure it’s fine for you, I just have an intolerance to it.
- You can mix any colors together
- I buy mine at health stores in Australia. I’m sure they’re in Canada too.
The other questions should be answered in the video and article
If you want more details information you can join my coaching program: http://www.highonhealth.org/coaching/
Hey fran. I was just curious to see if you knew some helpfull tips about macules…those red spots that are left after acne, but they arent scras and they will fade away in a matter of months possibly….do you know of any way to help fade them. I researched acne whitening serums and creams but i wanted to ask a person instead of having to draw a conclusion me self
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