The secret to Healthy hair: 3 Benefits of Bentonite clay

For my curly haired naturals who hair can not handle shampoo: Alternative Shampoo

My curly hair is low porosity, and has fine strands, high density, and a puffy curl pattern that does not like shampoo. Low porosity hair means that your hair cuticles are laying flat, so it takes a little more work for water to penetrate. When you have low porosity hair, it is best to use products with glycerin and humectants in it, such as honey. So, when you are looking for deep conditioners,  the ones with honey or glycerin are extremely good.

Another component is using warm water to help the cuticles open up to allow moisture in, as well as, using light products to avoid product buildup due to the cuticles being extremely tight. When using a deep conditioner, sitting under a hooded dryer or steamer will be your best friend, trust me! The heat from the dryer or steamer will allow the product to melt into your hair strands. Lastly protein treatments, even though our hair may need protein to strengthen, nourish, and bring our hair back to life, low porosity naturals should limit protein treatments to about every 6 weeks or as needed.

I also have a video explaining in detail, hair porosity and products we can use with Hair Basics 101

What is Bentonite Clay?

The simplest way to describe Bentonite clay is, it is a mud substance that pulls out toxins and impurities by its negative charge. Bentonite clay can be used on your hair and skin due to its properties of pulling out impurities like dirt, product build up and anything else that may be causing the skin or hair any issues. I love to use the mud as an alternative shampoo because as mentioned earlier, my hair does not like shampoo. Shampoo strips my hair really bad, and I only found maybe 1 or 2 in my whole natural hair journey that is not as harsh on my hair.

The brand I prefer to use is the Aztec clay mask, which you can click the link that takes you right to the website or find it in your local Walmart, Target or even online at Amazon. To give the clay mask extra benefits I mix it with ACV (Apple cider vinegar) which has it own benefits, such as- cleanses hair product build up, adds shine to the hair, and encourages hair growth. I also add a few drops of argan oil to the mixture. The mud mask is not just for the ladies, men can also use it on their curls and even in their beards!

I love to use the clay especially when I am doing a wash n go because it defines my curls. It’s my best secret to a defined wash n go- prepping and cleansing with bentonite clay!

Before I apply the bentonite clay, I like to pre-poo my hair first to allow the application process to be smoother, while also getting the moisture back into my hair stands. To pre-poo, you can either use oil or Fresh Aloe Vera gel from the leaf that you can buy from your local supermarket.

Application process

1. Section hair, pre-poo hair using oil and/or Fresh Aloe Vera gel from leaf and twist up as section is complete
2. Mix Bentonite clay mask and ACV and a few drops of oil or essential oil in plastic container. You must use a plastic container and utensil due to the negative charge of the clay
3. By section, Take down twist an apply bentonite clay mixture from roots to ends, racking it through and detangling. Making sure the mud is on each strand
4. Apply all over head and let sit for 30 mins-1 hr
5. Rinse out with warm water until hair is clean
6. Apply rinse out conditioner to pick up any residue from clay
7. Put in Deep conditioner

The Benefits of using the clay mix

There are many benefits to adding bentonite clay to your regime, but the top 3 I think are worth noting are…

1. Great for clarifying your hair by removing any product build up, while also clearing the scalp of any issues
2. Great for moisturizing and strengthening the hair
3. Great for defining your curls, which is perfect for a wash n go

If I can find a way to mix up bentonite clay for the month and store it, I will use it every week. Because sometimes, lets face it, juggling being a mommy and day to day responsibilities I do not always feel like mixing up the mud. I have a video that shows the consistency of how I like my mud, not too thin, not too thick to where it is hard to rinse off of my hair. Using the bentonite clay as a face mask, I would recommend to make it on the thin side due to the dry down making it a little tug on the skin while wiping it off.

To wrap this up

Bentonite clay will be a great addition to your regime and will change the way your hair performs on wash n go days. Your curls will love you for it, Your scalp will love you for it and your over all hair health will improve or continue to remain good. Giving our hair the love and attention it needs, is a form of self love for me. So I am here to spread the love that I come across that has aided in my journey and that has always Brough my hair back to life, when I did not do such a great job of showing it TLC.

Click the video below to see how I pre-poo, mix up the clay and apply it