How I Reduced my Acne: Bentonite Clay Mask

Bentonite clay has many beneficial properties for the skin. It’s widely known for detoxing and removing impurities. Additionally, it infuses the skin with minerals such as potassium and magnesium. (Cohn, 2018) When I was I was getting my makeup done for my cousin’s wedding, I was breaking out profusely on my face unfortunately. It looked like a zit volcano had erupted on my chin and blessed it with all kinds of lovely cysts and pustules. I was not feeling cute whatsoever and told the makeup artist to work her magic to conceal as much of the acne as she could. She looked at my face and said “Oh honey, you need to do a bentonite clay mask! Do it five times a week, consecutively and that will help get rid of all of those blemishes, it’s my holy grail for face masks.” I didn’t know much about bentonite clay, but I had heard a lot of positive things about it. I was immensely intrigued so I ordered the clay mask the very next day.

Bentonite clay has quite a few benefits for your skin: it opens up clogged pores, tones and tightens the skin, reduces blemishes (my favorite benefit of course), and exfoliates the skin. (Lacy, 2015) It’s easy to make and one of the many things I like about it is it usually comes in quite a generous quantity, so it lasts for a long time. This mask can be mixed with either water or apple cider vinegar. I like to mix it with apple cider vinegar to maximize the benefits, however mixing the bentonite clay with water works fine as well. Apple cider vinegar reduces redness and restores the pH of the skin. I typically leave it on my face for thirty minutes or until it’s completely dry.

When I first used the mask, it was consecutively for five days due to the severity of my breakouts. Now, that my skin is thankfully under control and I don’t break out that often, I use it twice a week to minimize the appearance of pores and tighten my skin.

I have a few minor complaints about this beneficial mask. Firstly, it’s pretty messy! When I first mixed the dry clay with water or apple cider vinegar, it easily spilled around my sink. Another complaint I have about the mask is that after I wash it off, my face is very red and a little sensitive. However, it goes away after a few minutes. I usually apply the mask before bed, because of this reason. This is definitely not a mask you want to apply before an event, if you have sensitive skin like myself. Lastly, because it’s a detox mask, it will pull deep pimples to the surface. After the first time I used it, I thought it made my breakouts worse because my deep zits were large and in charge and starting to surface. Then after researching more about bentonite clay, I discovered that it’s normal due to the detoxing properties of the mask. After diligently doing the mask for five days in a row, my pimples reduced in size and were barely there! I’m a huge fan of this mask, if you suffer from acne, it’s definitely worth a shot.

References
Crohn, Lindsay (2018) Reader’s Digest. 9 Reasons You Should Add Bentonite Clay to Your Beauty Routine. Retrieved from: https://www.rd.com/health/beauty/bentonite-clay-beauty-benefits/

Lacy, (2015) Amazing Benefits of Using Bentonite Clay Masks Retrieved from: http://loveforyourskin.net/5-amazing-skin-benefits-using-bentonite-clay-mask/