I love clays and always have. Even before I developed an acne condition I used to use a clay mask at least once a week, and always before a night out because it made my skin look softer and clearer.
I’ve since learned how fantastic clays are at decongesting and detoxifying the skin, so of course they’re a fantastic addition to your skin care routine.
Clays work by drawing the toxins out of the skin which then bind to the clay. So when you wash the mask off you’re washing the toxins off too. Sounds too good to be true? Well it’s not. Clays have been used for many, many years so it’s one of those tips we picked up from as far back as ancient Egypt. Something that’s lasted that long must be good.
And the good news is, I now sell Living Valley clays (the good quality brand) in my online store so you can start making clay masks no matter where you are in the world – Click here to get your clays.
Here’s that link again to my online store. And here are a couple of videos I recorded a year or so ago about clay masks. The first link in particular is a really good one if you’re just starting out -
24 responses ↓
Hi Fran,
I’m wondering why the clays are different colours? Are certain colours better for different skin conditions?
Thanks
Hi Tegan, great question! I have a list of the different colors + what they’re each good for in this article- http://www.highonhealth.org/hot-tip-clay-mud-mask-and-cucumber-for-treating-acne/
Hi Fran,
did you delete your video? When I try to play it, it says the video is no longer available. I tried refreshing the page to see if that would make it would but no.
Oh, and I know this is completely off topic about clay but do you know what Sugar Alcohol is? A lot of foods that claim to be sugar free always have a high content of “sugar alcohol” Just wondering if you knew anything about it.
Thanks.
Eddie- it’s working now so it must have just been down for a while. Yes, maltitol is one example of a sugar alcohol, I wrote a blog about this topic once – http://www.highonhealth.org/what-is-maltitol-and-why-is-it-so-popular/
Oh Fran, I love those clay masks! I used to get them from my health food store, but then they discontinued them so I purchased heaps for next to nothing when discounted the stock. So I won’t be running out any time this decade, but good to know you are selling them for when I do! lol
And instead of using just plain water to mix the mask up you can use cooled chamomile tea, green tea, etc…
I highly recommend these masks!
I have pale sensitive acne prone/combination skin, with dry patches on my nose & chin. Would you recommend white clay? I’ve read your clay blogs, and I’ve watched your clay video, but I’m still unsure which is best for me. I think I’d mainly use the clay to spot treat due to the fact that my face is already quite dry & flaky in places and I don’t want to overdo it. (So white? red? which is best?)
I’ve been following your recommendations of exfoliating with baking soda (mixed with Cetaphile), and I’ve been using bee yummy lotion. Unfortunately, huge ugly zits keep popping on my chin. The rest of my face is pretty clear though. I just want to feel naturally pretty again…
Thanks for all of the videos, they have been so helpful!
Btw, your hair looks gorgeous! Maybe you should start doing some blog entries on your hair care
Raven- if you’re using white I’d recommend a combination of 2 clays because white is very gentle so may or may not be drawing enough. I’d suggest either a combination of the white & red (my fav) or the white & yellow (because yellow is like green but not as strong). Make sure you mix the cucumber in with them too, it’ll help those dry patches.
Are the pimples on your chin cystic or inflammations?
Melissa- Thanks for the compliment! Actually I’m very lazy with my hair so this is my natural look
I cannot wait to try these clays. I have to say though, anyone thinking about getting an exfoiliator should look into the Honey I shrunk the Pores skin polish that Fran sells. It makes my skin so smooth for days. I am in love with it, it’s amazing!!
sorry for OT, I just wanna share info about agave nectar – Fran have you heard of this:
http://www.she-zencuisine.com/agave-nectar
?
it says agave nectar is not a safe sweetener…
Hi Agnei, thanks for the link to the article
I have from time to time read articles written by people who are heavily against fructose that don’t like agave …however, because agave is so popular within the raw food community (who are extremely educated on this stuff), it’s natural, full of vitamins and minerals and the good quality agave is not heat treated or chemically treated in any way ..AND it has a low GI ..I personally think it’s fine 
It is however still a sugar and all sugars (including natural sugars) need to be eaten in moderation.
Hi Fran, thanks for responding. My chin has both inflammation and cystic acne. Interestingly enough, I had beautiful flawless skin… until about 3 weeks after I got my labret pierced (it’s a piercing on your chin)… and I’ve been dealing with acne on my chin for the last 5 years now! I’ve tried taking the piercing out for a few months, and it didn’t change my acne. So I deduced it’s due to the fact that the piercer told me to wash around my piercing with an antibacterial soap 3x per day, and the triclosan permanently and negatively affected my skin around my chin!!
So I want to buy some of your clays… maybe they will help! Knowing that I have cystic & inflammation acne, as well as blackheads, with dry patches, would you be more inclined to recommend the red + white clay OR the yellow + white clay?
Wow Raven, I’m sorry your piercing experience turned into a negative one! Maybe next time you take it out for a few months, work on using a deep pore exfoliant + none pore clogging cleanser/moisturizer. And wait a good 1-3 months because cystic acne can take a long time to clear up.
If your skin is oily, go for the yellow, otherwise the red is better
Hey Fran
I just ordered some of your clays the other day and I’m so excited to try them. I live in the US so do you know how long it will take for them to get here?
My major acne issues right now are scarring and cysts, do you think the yellow or red clays (the ones I bought) will help with that.
Thanks for writing about clays. I have a clay mask that includes Kaolin and bentonite. I used a few months ago and everytime I used it more pimples would pop up and now I know why…..because of purging. So I started using it again and of course got purging but I feel like it is good because it is cleaning out my skin. It does not do a whole lot for my cystic acne though. I take highest lignan flax seed oil daily and eat healthy. I use purity made simple to clean my face and am currently using my sample of Bee Yummy for my moisturizer (which I LOVE) by the way. I am waiting for my Paula 2% to come in the mail. What else do you recommend for this annoying sore cystic acne? I have one on my chin and one by the eyebrows. Once one heals another pops up it is never ending ;(
Hi Aimee, I’ve written an email in my newsletter (mini-course) about treating cystic acne so if you’re a member of high on health you’ll receive that soon
For me cystic acne was due to stress from being in a bad relationship. As soon as that relationship ended the cystic acne went away ..so I strongly feel that cystic acne is due to 2 things – 1) stress 2) hormones.
So consider working on ways to reduce your stress levels and balance out your hormones. Yoga, mediation, spending time in nature, pampering yourself, eating well and taking supplements are all things that will help you a lot.
Stacy, Australia post says up to 10 days for delivery ..but sometimes (rarely) the packages get held up in customs so I allow for 30 days. I’m sure it will arrive soon though!
Hey Fran,
thanks a lot for this blog post, I tried out the clay mask three times now, and it always makes my skin break out a little, because of purging, as you told, because I really do have a lot of clogged pores. I’m just wondering if I should stop using the clays now, or if I should stick to them until my skin gets better…will it get better at all, or will it get only worse when I continue using the clays?
Charlotte- it depends how bad your breakouts are. If they’re only mild and you can live with them then stick to it. But if it’s too much to handle you may need to exfoliate with a deep pore cleanser first for a while.
[...] of manuka honey and lavender water with green clay for a detoxifying and healing effect. Fran from High on Health has done a video blog showing how to mix up the clays and some different ways to use them. Share [...]
I use the clay masks from the body shop. Should I leave that on overnight? Do you know if it will burn if I have it on for over a few mins. I use the seaweed Ionic Clay Mask
hi fran,
i have bin a regular follower of ur site for quite some time now. for awhile i have bin sooooo busy that i have not checked my mails but today, i stumbled on the mail you sent about clays(The right and wrong way to use a clay mask). u see, for some weeks now i have bin having dis fresh acne which grows worse the more i use a clay mask on my body(my mum bought it for me when she went to jerusalem,it s from the dead sea its called AROMA dead sea black mud). should i discontinue using it because, i didnt see anything about black clays in your blog site……tanx
Hey Betty, dead sea salts are great and so is the mud. What’s happening is it’s pulling all the toxins out of your back, and some are getting aggravated and inflamed on the way. To help prevent this, make sure you put a natural anti-bacterial on afterwards, like neem leaf, honey, tea tree oil etc. It should pass once all the toxins are cleaned out!
the link to the page where the clay is supposed to be isnt working. I have oily acne prone skin and I want to try the green clay. can you tell me where I can purchase it or can you fix the link.
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