DIY Homemade Skin Mask

For the majority of my life I have been blessed with good skin. That all changed when I became pregnant.

As soon as I reached the 2^nd trimester I realized the pores on my face were bigger than they one had been and that I was getting black heads. Since I was pregnant and feeling sorry for myself I trotted down to the local maternity spa for a few facials over the duration of my pregnancy. Of course once the baby arrived all of that self-pampering came to a grinding halt along with pedicures, hair appointments, and leisure reading.

I don’t know what I expected really, maybe for my skin to return to it’s once glowing state post-pregnancy. Well just like most things that become over stretched once you hit the tipping point you enter the land of no return. So I came to realize that waiting for my pores to shrink on their own was not going to happen. To this very day I am still dealing with larger than normal pores that get dirt trapped within them.

Since I no longer have the amount of personal time I once had I needed to come up with an alternative to facials. That’s when I was re-introduced to bentonite clay.

I had experimented with bentonite clay in medical school as a form of body detoxification. But like many things it was pushed to the recesses of my mind and I hadn’t given it much thought until it was brought back to my attention.

I was speaking with a lymphatic drainage therapist one afternoon and she mentioned that she was using bentonite clay.

As she was talking my mind was repeating, bentonite clay, bentonite clay, that’s right, the healing power of clay, great for detoxification.

She was talking about how she used it with her clients to help move and drain their lymphatic system.

At the end of our conversation she gave me a small bag of re-constituted clay for me to “play with”.

I immediately went home and did a face mask.

I slathered it all over my face leaving my nostrils, eyes, and mouth free and cut 3 slices of plastic wrap to cover the clay areas to keep it moist and active. I left it on for 20 minutes and then removed the plastic wrap, and washed the clay off with warm water.

My skin was lightly pink like it had been exfoliated and I could see that many of the pores were open and releasing. I splashed cold water on my face to close the pores a bit and then applied a natural toner. Once the toner dried I applied my natural moisturizer.

The day after doing the mask I have noticed that my skin looks brighter and more hydrated.

I have sensitive skin so if you do too I don’t recommend leaving the mask on for longer than that. Leaving the active clay on longer can cause increased exfoliation and drying of the skin because through its natural detoxification properties it is pulling the natural oils out.

Since that day bentonite clay has taken up a place in my medicine cabinet I try to do a mask weekly and if a few weeks pass without applying the clay I can tell the difference in my skin. Probably the best would be to apply a mask twice per week. That would give me the best chance of shrinking the pores permanently. But what can I say? Once a week seems like all I can add to my schedule right now.

So what is Bentonite clay?

It is natural healing clay comprised of minerals and it’s formed from natural volcanic ash. It produces a negative electric charge when water is added to it, which aids in binding and removing toxins. When you mix water with the clay, the components alter in order to allow it to become a powerful tool to absorb toxins. That’s why you want it to stay moist on your skin.

Bentonite clay pulls toxins, chemicals, and even heavy metals. The clay also helps provide oxygen to cells and has an alkalizing effect. Bentonite clay is rich in beneficial minerals such as: magnesium, silica, and calcium. When mixed together with water clay creates a mask that can safely used for maintaining healthy skin.

The skin benefits include, pore reduction, exfoliation, and pore extraction. I don’t recommending using it more than every other day. It may strip the skin of natural oils too aggressively to use on a daily basis.

It is important to note: Do not  use any metal when working with bentonite clay. Metal containers or spoons can lessen the activity of the clay.

DIY Face Mask:

3 parts water

1 part bentonite clay powder (gray-green in color)

1 plastic container with screw lid – an empty peanut butter jar works great for this. You can use either a glass jar or plastic jar with a plastic lid

1 box press-n-seal wrap (plastic wrap can also be used)

 

To a 16 oz. plastic jar I add 3/4-cup water and ¼ cup bentonite clay.

I shake it well and let it sit for 1 hour, and then I unscrew the lid to get some air in and then screw it back on and shake it very well again. Then I let it sit overnight.

The next morning I shake it well and then I open the jar. The clay should be the consistency of pudding. If you do not get pudding consistency then re-cap it and shake it a bit more and let it sit. I apply the wet pudding to my face and then cut a piece of press-n-seal to put over it to keep the clay wet. Keeping the clay wet keeps the clay active. Before I put the press-n-seal on my face I cut 2 eyeholes. Then when I put it on my face I poke holes for my nostrils and make a slit for my mouth. As mentioned above I keep it on for 15-20minutes.

You don’t need to put the clay on super thick. You want it to sit on your skin in a nice layer about the thickness of 2 paper towels. It shouldn’t be so thin that you can see your skin underneath. It shouldn’t be so thick that it is sliding off your face.

Let me know what you think when you try it!