Happy Monday!
After my two delightful experiences with Bentonite Clay, I began to wonder how often I could safely engage in this cleansing/softening clay treatment. I use to poo (hahah) 2 times a month, and I was hoping to use the clay treatment similarly. So, I contacted the ingredient guru, Ms. Anita Grant, so that she may shed some light on the situation. She sells both Bentonite and Rhassoul clay, among other goodies!
Please find our dialogue below:
CN: Hi Anita! I hope this email finds you well. I have a few quick questions. How often can I use Bentonite clay to cleanse and soften? Would bi-weekly be okay? What are the benefits of Rhassoul clay? and how does it compare to Bentonite? Thanks and looking forward to hearing from you soon!
AG: Bentonite contains over 70 natural occurring trace minerals like:
Silica- 61.4% (required for strong healthy hair growth and skin tissue regeneration)
Aluminum- 18.1%
Iron- 3.5%
Sodium- 2.3%
Magnesium- 1.7%
Calcium- 0.04%
Titanium- 0.02%
Potassium- 0.01%
Moisture- 7.8%
pH – 8.3 – 9.1
Bentonite has a high percentage of naturally occurring Silica & Iron than most other naturally occurring clays.
Silica & Iron deficiency may lead to:
• Skin becoming loose and dehydrated
• Lack lustre hair
• Poor bone development
• Brittle nails
Effective & powerful when taken:
• Externally as a poultice, naturally curly Afro hair mask, face and body mud pack, sprinkled in the bath, and/or to reduce swelling.
• Internally as a supplement for those with mineral deficiencies.
Bentonite deposits can be found all over the globe but the largest concentrations are located in the Great Plains area of North America & the mountains of Italy. Bentonite is derived from the deposits of weathered volcanic ash. Bentonite is purported to be an effective natural intestinal detoxifying agent that has been used for centuries by native peoples around the world. Rhassoul contains natural silicon, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium & sodium – with a deep cleansing, anti-microbial action that does not irritate the sebaceous glands. In fact, it regulates the amount of sebum secreted from the scalp.
Rhassoul contains a high percentage of naturally occurring trace minerals like magnesium, and calcium.
Silica- 58% (required for strong healthy hair growth and skin tissue regeneration)
Aluminum- 2.47%
Iron- 0.64%
Sodium- 2.3%
Magnesium- 25.2%
Calcium- 2.34%
pH – 6.9 – 7.5
Clays and Clay Minerals The information/research above has been taken from my website. As you can see both Rhassoul and Bentonite Clay are very beneficial for our hair but on their own they made my hair dry out somewhat – hence the reason why I made my Rhassoul Deep Condishes. I don’t use Bentonite Clay on it’s own either because it did work for me but after a while my ends started to dry out. However, others have found success using the clays on their own. You’ll need to decide for yourself whether using clays would be beneficial to your hair. Hope this helps.
CN:
Thanks for your speedy response! I have 2 more questions:
1. Could I add an oil to my Bentonite clay mix?
2. Were you using water or acv? I only use water because acv dries me out over time.
AG:
1. Depends on what the oil is. Perhaps you should try Bentonite on it’s own on a small section of your hair before you mix with oil. However, if you are going to mix it with oil make it a light oil like VCO or Camellia Kissi or Sesame oil.
2. I use ACV *before* I shampoo or condish. With my mixes I either use water or an herbal infusion.
Here’s a link to Anita Grant’s site: https://anitagrant.com/
So, what do you guys think? It sounds like it’s going to take some experimentation to ensure that I don’t do more harm than good. I have yet to notice a drying effect, but I’ve only done 2 treatments. I will most certainly do a DT after each treatment from now on, and beginning next week, I will try mixing in a humectant (honey), and a bit of oil (probably grapeseed). I’ll of course keep you ladies updated on my experiments!
Please leave your Bentonite (or Rhassoul) mixes in the comments section, for my benefit, and the benefit of your fellow readers!
Later Gators,
Nik
Suburbanbushbabe is correct as Magnesium sulfate is great for curls and keeps the curl intact & uniform for longer.
Another clay that I use to give my hair a mid-week wash is Tuscan Green Clay.
It's from the Montmorillonite family and is similar to that of Rhassoul.
The only difference is the naturally occurring content of the following:
Silica- 78% (required for strong healthy hair growth and skin tissue regeneration)
Aluminum- 2.47%
Iron- 0.64%
Sodium- 2.3%
Magnesium- 35.2%
Calcium- 5%
pH – 7.0 – 7.5
I do add a few essential oils to my Tuscan Green Clay mix like Ylang Ylang and Organic Bergamot but I mix it with warm water.
The high magnesium content keeps the shape of my curls intact and the natural silica content gives me loads of slip which makes it easier for me to detangle in the shower.
HTH
Thanks you for this very informative post. I’m a Rhassoul clay user and was interested to see that Rhassoul has much less aluminum and more magnesium than Bentonite. Magnesium sulfate has been found to be good for some curls. I also add different things to different mixtures — oil, yogurt, sometimes banana, honey, ACV, etc.
I love bentonite clay and use it on a regular basis. There was a period of time where I used it every week instead of washing my hair and my hair always felt soft and clean, not dry. I start my mixture with a heavy dose of plain yogurt, probably close to a cup. I mix that with bentonite clay, then add water or some type of hair tea until its the right consistency. I also add a splash of ACV, no more than a tablespoon.
This works really well and gets my hair clean. Since most of the “liquid” is yogurt, it conditions as it cleans. Even though my hair feels fine when I rinse it out (I leave it in about 5 mins and “scrub” my scalp as I rinse), I follow up with a DC because I deep condition my hair every week. It also enhances my curl pattern (my curls are poppin!) and makes it easier to detangle.
Well…I recently added the Bentonite Clay treatment (mixed with ACV) to my Saturday morning ritual. The night before, I pre-poo with Coconut and Castor oil. The next morning, I rinse with an Ayurvedic tea mixture then apply the clay treatment. After my treatment, I wash my scalp with my Shikakai shampoo bar. Then I perform a steam treatment with AO HSR, HH, EVOO, and Honey. It seems like I’m doing alot but I have always had issues with dry scalp and the Ayurvedic products have done wonders for my scalp. Since I have not been using the Bentonite Clay on its own, I might be able to avoid any dryness. However, I will definitely keep a closer eye for dryness.
BTW…I used the Bentonite Clay for a facial mask and my skin was so soft and smooth.
Hey Nik,
Great post. I just did my first Bentonite Clay Treatment over the weekend. I mixed it with half ACV and half water. Beacuse I was thinking on the line of both clay and too much ACV being drying to the hair. I did add Apricot Oil – this is very moisturizing to the hair. I just eyeballed the ingredients to a yogurt mixture. My hair was mega soft after the treatment. Then I followed up with 5 minutes of Aubrey HSR conditioner.
Judging from what I read in your post, maybe this should be only once month – like I always say too much of a good thing can lead to dry hair.
How often do you use this clay?
I”m glad you posted this b/c when I take my braids out next month, I want to try the bentonite clay. Happy Experimenting! I’ll be taking notes. LOL.