With  ever popular trends to get back to natural products for skin and health care, consumers are merging more toward products of the earth to enhance the natural beauty of their skin.  Clay facial masks are featured in high end day spas and resorts and often priced above what the average person can afford to spend.

There's a simple and affordable opportunity to enjoy the benefits of a soothing clay facial in the comforts of your own home if you don't mind spending a little time researching and a few dollars investing in your own supplies.

Clay is an excellent exfoliant, it assists the skin in maintaining a healthy ph balance and makes for a  wonderful salves for rashes, insect bites, paste for relief from chickenpox , poison oak, poison ivy and more. 

As the clay begins to dry on the skin it draws out impurities and lifts dead skin cells even as the skin begins to absorb the minerals from the clay.  This dual action leaves the skin looking fresher and more youthful.  And, as the clay dries and draws the skin up it helps to temporarily shrink the pores making for smoother application of cosmetics.  You'll love how soft and smooth your face feels afterward!

To find the clay that is correct for your skin below are some general guidelines:

Bentonite Clay:  Best suited for oily skin and is highly absorbent.

Kaolinite Clay:  Also known as Kaolin Clay, China Clay, White Clay.  This clay is good for most skin types including very sensitive skin.

Green Clay:  A wonderful clay to use as a mask for normal to oily skin types for it's absorbant properties and should only be used once weekly.  This clay is not recommended for sensitive or dry skin types.

Red Clay:  Recognized for it's strong cleansing properties and acts as a strong astringent for oily skin.

Pink Clay:  Well suited for dry or sensitive skin to cleanse and exfoliate.

Dead Sea Clay:  This clay is very rich in minerals and a great enhancement when added to any of the other clays or used alone.  It's also wonderful as a body wrap or hair treatment.

You can find any number of clay suppliers on the internet, but one readily available clay seems to be the Fuller's Clay found in area drugstores.  Just as there are many suppliers on the internet, there are many more variations of clay.  The research alone is quite interesting!

Since it only takes a couple of tablespoons to make a wonderful face mask and you only need to use a face mask once or twice a week, you will find that clay will go a very long way .  Take that into consideration when you're shopping prices from suppliers. 

Jeannie Palmer, author, all rights reserved.