Clay For Acne

Acne help can be as close as your back yard. One friend’s daughter came home from university with a face full of pimples. “Okay,” said my friend, skilled in the natural healing arts, “off to the clay cave with you.”

Clay for acne is one of natural medicine’s big secrets. I am lucky to live in a clay-rich area of the world, where we can simply go down to the riverbank and roll in the stuff. If you type ‘acne clay’ into Google, you get more than 4 million responses. This shows just how popular and well-respected a treatment clay is for excess skin oil production. Do a search on classical medical databases for scientific studies on the use of clay for acne, however, and you come up dry. Nothing. Nada. The medical establishment has not yet discovered clay’s healing help for acne.

How It Works

Clay is one of Nature’s wonder materials. Composed of microscopic, flat mineral sheets, clay can absorb several times its volume in liquid. Bentonite, the type of clay most commonly used for therapeutic purposes, is particularly good at absorbing oils and proteins. When applied as a moist facial pack, clay draws out oils and impurities from the skin as it dries to a fine powder, leaving behind a cleaner, softer complexion. Bentonite clay is the foundation ingredient to many commercial face cleansers.

Clay also has antibacterial properties, and some interesting electrical properties as well, all of which seem to help with acne. It is thought that the tiny clay molecules surround and isolate the larger bacteria, cutting them off from the body and flushing them out. The strong negative charge of hydrated clay exerts a magnetic pull on the positive charge of many infections and body toxins. Both of these actions help to clean out the bacterial growths that contribute to acne.

Choosing a clay to help with acne is not difficult, but you need to know a few things. Many clays have absorbing, drawing capabilities, and can be useful in skin applications. Bentonite clays are the most effective in this regard. Antibacterial properties are more clay-specific, aim for a clay that is chosen by a professional for healing properties. If you buy therapeutic clay, make sure it is as close to the natural state as possible. Refined, purified clays with perfumes and other additives manufactured for the cosmetics industry will not have the most potent healing effects. Clays that have been heated lose their antibacterial qualities. Keep your clay choice simple and clean.

Clay for acne is a basic, natural part of an overall treatment plan that would also consist of dietary changes and medical supervision. My friend’s daughter went back to university with a clear face and a renewed faith in motherly wisdom. Find some clay, in your back yard or online, moisten it up and lather it on. Your face will be glad you did.

Tony Berryman is a Registered Massage Therapist and freelance writer in Vancouver, Canada.