Ummmm….wow. Bentonite has left me totally speechless! I wanted to try it once more before posting this review in order to make sure my initial go round wasn’t a fluke. I’m officially swept off my feet.
First things first, what is it?
- Mineral Content:
Silica– 61.4%
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 can be applied topically to skin and wounds or taken orally to draw toxins and impurities out of the body quickly. Bentonite Clay removes poisons (bacterial poisoning, salmonella, etc.) and intestinal parasites out of the intestinal tract while alkalizing the body.
- Bentonite Clay is excellent to rejuvenate and cleanse the skin. Topical applications are helpful for acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, wound healing, and help draw poison from ant, bee, wasp, and similar bug stings and bites. It draws excess oils and debris to the surface, boosts circulation to tighten the skin and stimulate blood flow, and whisks away dead skin cells that can clog pores.
- Bentonite is a swelling clay. When it is mixed with water, it rapidly swells open like a highly porous sponge. From here the toxins are drawn into the sponge through electrical attraction and once there, they are bound.
- Bentonite Clay may also be used like a shampoo trapping and removing dirt, debris, build up and other particles from your hair and scalp.
Taken from here.
I’ve slept on this deep claryifying mud for some time now. A natural friend of mine recommended Bentonite about a year ago, and I’ve read many positive reviews on naturallycurly and longhaircareforum. I ‘heard’ that bentonite, a mud mask, would leave my hair clean (but not stripped), soft, and defined. I honestly didn’t believe it, but needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised. The best part is that upon rinsing, my hair behaved as if I had just henna’ed-looser curls, tons of definiton and lots of body and shine. It felt (and still feels) so soft, almost unreal. I think I’m in love 🙂
Instructions:
I followed Anita Grant’s instructions:
- Mix 1 to 2 parts Bentonite clay
- Slowly add *warm water to the clay until you achieve a pancake mix texture.
- Apply the lumpy mixture to your wet hair in sections (with the same ‘smooshing’ action I described in the henna vid)
- Allow to set for between 15 – 20 minutes
- Rinse thoroughly with conditioner, until it’s all out of your curls, kinks and coils.
- Apply leave-in and style as usual (I didn’t DT afterwards)
*water can be replaced with your choice of liquid for example:
Organic Coconut Milk
Herbal infusion
or anything you like…
I loved the 5 minute prep, and 20 minute set time! Easy peasy. I haven’t henna’ed in more than a month due to scheduling and down right laziness. I’m elated that I’ve now found something that will produce the smooth results of henna without the time, effort or cost. I’m planning to do both treatments once a month, spacing them out bi-weekly.
Key things to remember:
- Do not let the mixture dry on your hair- I used a plastic baggie the second time
- Use conditioner to rinse thoroughly, or you’ll be left with ‘wierd’ feeling hair.
I used AZTEC Secret brand, purchased from Vitamin Shoppe. The color is grayish and the consistency is very fine like powder. This particulary clay comes from Death Valley, California, where it is sun- dried for up to six months in temperatures that sometimes reach 134 degrees.Good stuff.
Please don’t be like me…don’t sleep on this one ladies. It’s the perfect poo replacement and you can use it as a face mask too! Hell, I’m going to purchase the liquid kind to take internally. Why not?!
Later Gators,
Nik
p.s. Pics coming soon…
PLEASE POST YOUR EXPERIENCES (GOOD OR BAD) WITH BENTONITE…IT MAY HELP ANOTHER READER!!!
yea i was thinking about the same thing because aluminum is bad for us….mmm i have to do some research
I have the same exact question!
I cant wait to try it!
I thought Betonite clay was evil because it left my hair stiff for weeks.
My natural friend told me it might be because i just shampooed about a week ago.
I decided not to relent as I had just gotten a tub of the clay.
I applied olive oil on my hair, and then added olive oil to the mixture and applied.
Oh my goodness!!! My hair was soft, strands were 'extremely' strengthened that breaking off SSKS wasn't easy, conditioned and detangled.
It's absolutely wonderful.
Yesterday, I shampooed and I wished I had just used the clay, and left for few minutes, because my hair would have been left better by the clay, than the tangled mess I had.
I do hope it works for you.
Hey Nik- what ever happened to your love affair with Bentonite clay?
Does it loosen your curls like henna? Because I want to keep mine lol
Just tried Bentonite Clay for the first time. I was a bit skeptical after putting it in, b/c it reminded me of the way Henna feels in my hair (Henna has always dried out my hair), but after washing it out, my hair was soft, defined and felt good. (I used coconut milk, honey, water and a tiny bit of EVOO, ACV and Coconut Oil with the clay. Someone mentioned that the clay has aluminum, which is a concern since aluminum is very toxic. I'll need to look into that.
100% Pure Bentonite Detox Clay Blend Mask!
@ Healing Herbs By Rene, http://www.healingherbsbyrene.com Natural Organic Hair and Skin Products. This blend also works well for hair and skin..
I'm a newbie to the natural community and need all the help and encouragement I can get… so I tried the bentonite clay for the first time…and I love it. I prepared it with coconut milk and EVOO. I washed it out with just water and conditioner. Then I finish with a hot oil treatment of jojoba oil and coconut oil. I will use bentonite as part of my regular hair regimen. Thanks to everyone who posted their experiences, you helped me to say yes to this product and I'm glad I did. TY
I like bentonite clay alot! I do a weekly bentonite clay/aloe vera gel/honey facial mask with . I find it to be wayyy less harsh on my dry skin than a bentoite/water mix. I will try a hair mask with bentonite clay, coconut water and honey soon.
Hey Nikki!
Question – does the bentonite have a cumulative effect, like the Henna? Meaning, the more you use it, the more definition, thickness , and curl stretch experienced? Or is this only with Henna?
This stuff is wonderful!
I use it on my face once a week, but mix it with Apple Cider Vinger, Honey & Water. My face has cleared up a lot and my face actually match my neck (lol). I also use it on my hair and so does my husband on his locks. We use it on the hair every two weeks or once a month.
Well since the clay is used to clean your hair you won't need to shampoo….on my hair I don't need to shampoo after because it cleans my hair very well and also conditions it.
My question is, do i shampoo my before or after the Bentonite treatment. I ask this because I'm turning 25 and have decided to go natural.
hey Nikki do you still use this
I just recently used the Bentonite clay and all I have to say is YES!!! I recently did the BC and I noticed no retention of moisture in my type 4 hair. After the clay my hair is so soft and healthy looking with w/softer curls. I followed Nikki's same directions she posted for application. I will try to post before and after pics on my Fotki account and on here. Look for Mohaginy. I am starting to get my routine down and will post it as I go.
they have it on curlmart mixed with marshmellow root..sounds great to me! http://www.curlmart.com/store/product.php?productid=379&cat=0&page=1 I want to buy some, I have a face mask treatment with it in there and my skin feels SOO soft afterwards
I have been using the Bentonite Clay for the last 6 months..when I turned 40 my skin started to bug out..in other words "Acne" ladies 🙁 you can imagine my distress. A young lady at my local vitamin shoppe turned me on to Bentonite. All I can say is that Bentonite and I have a regular date, once a week, every Sunday nite. FABULOS..my skin looks even better than my pre acne days. I can't wait to see what results it will bring for my hair :-)by the way I mix mine with apple cider!
Question, I noticed Aluminum as an ingred. and was told to avoid aluminum pots for cooking and deodorants with aluminum because of its link to breast cancer and alzheimers, has anyone questioned the aluminum content?
okay I have the bentonite on my hair now. It didn’t know my hair was this long. Anyhow I hope I like it. I wanna like it. Is it possible to overuse bentonite? What if I wanted to use once a week. Didn’t know if this was something to be used sparingly or what.
Nikki,
I’m curious to know if the bentonite strips color too. I don’t have henna but I have a rinse. Also, I just purchased the bentonite from whole foods today! Gonna try on a section hair tonight.
Nikki,
I want to try the bentonite clay treatment however I just hennaed my hair 2 days ago. Will the bentonite clay strip the color from the henna? How long should I wait? TIA
Hi, Nikki. I think your site is the best thing since sliced bread. lol 😉 I find myself on here daily reading up on the new things you try and info you find. So thanks alot.
I have been using the clay on my hair and face with great results. I also take the liquid clay daily. I have had really bad acne all my life and since I started using the clay about a month ago I haven’t had any breakouts and my pores(that use to look like little holes in my face)and scars are gone. I use it as a facial mask twice a week and take the liquid daily and I will do this until It stops working( which is hopefully never). I use it on my hair about every two weeks or so and all I can say is… WOONNDEERRRFFUULL!!! I also plan to try henna soon. I can’t wait to see how they work together.
I guess I’m in the minority b/c it left me with less defined almost droopy curls. Maybe it’s b/c I used Henna last week (only my second use) but my curls ended up being a lot less defined which is something I didn’t see happen with Henna. I mixed it with ACV and a little coconut milk b/c I mainly used it to get rid of the Henna smell, which it did, and for the conditioning effects but did not expect my curls (mainly the ones around my face) to be so much looser which is not really a good thing in my book. Maybe it’ll look better once my hair dries but based on what happened today I probably won’t use it too often.
I wanted to know do you have to shampoo first before using the clay. I wear my hair in twist and there is usually a slight product build up from re-twisting over the two weeks that I wear them. Would it be in be better if I shampoo then put the clay on? Thanks
WOW!!!! Nik you have done it again. I tried henna 2 wks ago. Today the bentonite clay. As I type I am now deep conditioning with Aubrey Organics Honey Suckle Conditioner, Pantene (the one Nikki recommended), coconut milk and EVOO. After I washed out the clay my hair was so defined I couldn’t believe it. This was prior to the conditioner. I mixed the clay with equal parts green tea (steep the same same way as for henna treatments), EVOO, and coconut milk. My sister even had to admit that the DEFINITION was out of this world. She always says, “So what did Curly Nikki say today?” LOL I have to say overall so far my hair seems to respond better to the clay than the henna. As they have different purposes, I will of course continue henna because my hair is so fine and needs to seriously be thickened….Ladies please listen to your girl NIKKI she knows what she knows… 🙂
I’ve been using this product for two years only for my FACE. I didn’t know you could use it for the hair. But I’ve only gone natural since last October (after 16 years of relaxer). I’m going to read the instructions once again to see the benefits since it remains a staple in my pantry. Thanks for your work.
Have you heard about kaolin clay?
Hey yall,
Instead of henna’ing tonight, I applied the Aztec clay,Bragg’s ACV and EVOO. I covered it with a plastic bag and sat for an hour or so. I co-washed with Suave Humectant and…OH My!!! Nik, obviously you can not tell a lie because this stuff is absolutely AMAZING!!! I couldn’t believe how soft and curly my hair was, BEFORE I added product. I kept asking my husband to look at and feel my hair…LOL!!! He kept saying “yep babe, it’s soft.”
I think every other week is just fine for frequency.
It does have a slightly high ph (basic not acidic). Simply co-washing afterwards with a balanced conditioner would be fine…Porosity Control conditioner would work as well. My hair feels amazing! Many people rinse with acv to seal and smooth the hair afterwards, but my hair doesn’t like acv.
Hey Nik,
I just bought some Aztec Secret clay from Whole Foods ($9.89 for 32 oz.) I was gonna henna tonight and use the clay next Friday…alternating that way for awhile to see how it goes.
Anonymous: thanks for the henna and coconut milk suggestion. I’m gonna try it along with ACV.
I bought mine from Whole Foods yesterday and I’m so excited to try it on my hair after hearing all the wonderful reviews from you ladies!! I think i’ll try mixing it with the coconut milk instead of water to
I’m fully convinced!! Might even do it this weekend…can’t wait to see the pics;-)
Dang!!! Another new product to try. I just tried DevaCurl this week (with great results. Now I have to go to the Vitaminshoppe on the way home. Thanks Nikki your reviews are always so great and informative.
I am def gonna give this a try. There is a vitaminshoppe up the street from my house. I can’t wait.
Thanks for sharing.
Prettysunshyne
I have the clay in food grade pre mixed. I’ve been using it for a couple of years as needed for an internal cleanse.
Works like a charm and it’s great for candida.
I’m going to go get some dry podwer and try it on my hair now.
..if bentonite works good as all the great reviews…I tell you this is the only thing on earth that is allow to have so many lovers and there is no problem.lol cause bentonite isn’t leaving any woman or men (men uses this too) out…everyone is feeling its LOVE! LOL
Hello Nikki
I was thinking…your review with the bentonite clay was great….you had said that it made your hair soft….I was thinking would using bentonite clay or bentonite hair conditioner would be “good” to use after henna treatments? what are your thoughts?
Blended Beauty makes their own version called Volcanic Mask, that is the one I plan to purchase when I do this, since everything is already for you to go.
Hey Nikki,
I’ve been following your blog for awhile now. This my first time chimming in. I’ve used the Henna twice now and my hair is not the same. It looks really dry. Do you think this will help bring back the moisture? I’m really disgusted right now…HELP
Nikki…When you say rinse with condish, do you apply condish over the clay and then rinse out? Or do you rinse out the clay and then add the condish and rinse again?
Thanks 🙂
I said it before in your other post but I looove me some bentonite clay. I use water and add some olive oil, just to give it a bit of moisture. I wish I could tell you how much of everything I use, but honestly I just scoop out some and add water until I get the pancakey mix and then add the OO. EmpressRi (youtube search if you don’t know of her) adds marshmellow root and I’ve heard others talking about other herbs or oils they’ve added. Also some use ACV instead of water.
Point is, I haven’t a bad thing to say about bentonite clay. Nappturall, if it helps I heard of a fellow natural only using bentonite clay to clean her scalp and hair. I don’t know if you want to be using this on your face more than once a week though. It’s like a regular mud facial mask and I’ve heard you’re not suppose to do that too too often. Hope that helps.
aren’t you a little concerned about the pH lvl of this product? I was ready on another blog that after using a product with a high pH lvl you should using another product conditioner,for example, to lower the pH lvl.
What are you using after this treatment?
Can't wait to use it!! Gotta find somewhere that sells it first–but it's all good.
And as for pooing–what if you switch up between both normal & Bentonite every other week?? I wash my hair every week-2 weeks…
I love the clay. I use after wearing box braids or cornrows. I usually use it on my face as well as my head. And it just seems so easy especially after wearing a style for a while you don’t have to wrestle with your head let the clay do all the work.
I love bentonite clay. I went through several months where I used it every week to “wash” my hair. I add a splash of acv and a heaping spoonful of yogurt to my mix. It’s great!
good review Nik, Btw I mix my henna with coconut milk and lemon juice, this mixture leaves my hair very moisterized. I Henna weekly, bentonite clay once a month. My hair is in the best shape of it’s life.
I love this stuff… I’ve only used it only for facials though-mixed with acv. I can’t wait to try it as a hair treatment…I like the idea of mixing with coconut milk…Thanks Nikki!
OMG I was waiting for you review…Thanks Nikki! This is good….also when you said its good for the no poo what if someone is no-pooing daily…can you do this daily on you hair and face? Thanks a again..your a million!!!
I love this stuff. I put it on my hair and face. I look like the Swamp Monster when I’m finished! LOL!