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Who doesn’t love a little pamper sesh courtesy of a good face mask? Unless you’ve lived under a rock you know masks of all types are having a huge moment, and clay masks in particular are the perfect pick-me-up to fix your facial woes, from oily and dull skin to break-outs and crater-like pores. We’ve scoured the market and selected six clay face masks that live up to their claims.
These six masks all have one thing in common, they are all enriched with kaolin clay. Kaolin clay is a naturally occurring soft mineral that is used to purify our skin and improve the quality of our skin texture. Let’s look at the benefits of kaolin clay and how you can enhance the texture and complexion of your skin with every use. Kaolin clay is not your ordinary ingredient, it penetrates your skin and absorbs all the toxins from within. So, without further ado, let’s look at some of the benefits kaolin clay has to offer.
What Is Kaolin Clay?
Kaolin clay is also known as China clay, it is named after the Kao-Ling hill in China where it was first mined. Today, kaolin is found everywhere including Asia, Europe, and Southern America. It is a soft, white, and naturally occurring mineral composed of kaolinite. It is formed when feldspar-rich rocks wither over the years to create a highly textured, pure, and versatile clay.
Kaolin clay has many benefits, it is used in the ceramic industry due to its high burning point and fusion temperature value which is great for making porcelain and china. It is also popular in the paper industry as it gives paper its colour, opacity, and body. But, more importantly, for skincare girlies like you and me, kaolin is an important ingredient in the cosmetic industry, where it is used as a gentle exfoliant and cleanser.
Let’s look at how kaolin clay works on skin and what are some of the benefits of kaolin clay.
How Does Kaolin Clay Work For The Skin?
Kaolin clay is a fine texture that has exfoliating properties, it enters the skin and absorbs all the dirt, oil, dust, and other minute particles that put a damper on your natural glow. It attaches itself to the impurities and when washed off, it unclogs pores and reduces excess oil and sebum from the skin, revealing naturally glowing skin. It also reduces irritation toxins making it a key ingredient in several clay masks, cleansers, and scrubs. Let’s look at kaolin clay's uses for the skin and what are some of the benefits of kaolin clay for the skin.
How Does Kaolin Clay Benefit The Skin?
Let’s look at the benefits of kaolin clay for skin.
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Natural Exfoliant : This is the best property of kaolin clay by far, the subtle coarse texture helps remove dirt, dust, sweat, oil, sebum, and other impurities leaving your pores clean and fresh. Follow it up with a toner to tighten your pores to prevent future clogging.
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Oil Control : People with oily skin require something that regulates excess oil production and a highly absorbent ingredient like kaolin to clear out the greasy layer on the skin without stripping it of its natural moisture. It is a great choice for people with acne-prone and oily skin.
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Gentle & Suitable For All: The fine, smooth texture of kaolin clay helps gently remove dead skin cells, toxins, and other impurities without stripping the natural moisture, making it suitable for all skin types and textures.
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Soothing: Kaolin clay is also very cool and offers a calming effect to irritated and sensitive skin. It is also suitable for people with skin conditions like eczema and with the right formula, it reduces swelling and rashes too.
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Brightening: With regular use, kaolin reduces the appearance of dullness and blemishes thus enhancing your complexion and brightening your skin. It also improves the texture of your skin and thus avoids any bumps or clogged pores that put a damper on your natural radiance.
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Repairs & Hydrates : Since kaolin removes excess oil from the skin and pores, people often think that it dehydrates the skin. But in fact, it removes the excess oil without drying the skin. It repairs the skin’s natural barriers, balances the pH levels, and clears out your skin from within. Simply follow it up with a moisturiser to seal in the hydration.
Best Kaolin Clay Products
1. Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask 2X
This 10-in-1 wonder formulated with Jeju Volcanic Cluster Spheres, Walnut shells and AHA is twice as efficient in cleansing sebum from pores. Tightens pores and controls sebum production, removing blackheads from the root for softer, brighter and smoother skin.
2. Foxtale De-Tan Skin Radiance Mask
Made from supercharged, pure exfoliating clay, enhanced with lactic acid, Brazilian purple clay, and kaolin clay, this clay mask extracts from within to exfoliate and refine the skin in just ten minutes! The potent mix of pure clays and volcanic rock exfoliates dead skin, refines pores and reveals a polished, more refined complexion.
3. Nykaa Clay It Cool Clay Mask
This one cools and refreshes skin without over-drying it. Charcoal Powder, due to its absorbent nature, helps detoxify, cleanse and brighten skin complexion. The lactic acid helps draw impurities while gently hydrating and softening skin. Oh, and it comes in seven different variants as well!
4. Indus Valley Bio Organic 100% Pure Kaolin Clay Powder
This soft, white Kaolin clay mask is known for its detoxifying properties, making it a popular ingredient in body wraps, soaps, face masks and scrubs. Suitable for all skin types, it draws out skin impurities and boosts circulation. Free from Parabens, Sulfates and Fragrances.
5. Matra French Green Clay Mask
A luxurious blend of Vitamins A and C-rich Rice enzymes and antioxidant-rich Green Tea, this nourishing mask is ideal for cleansing, detoxifying and nourishing skin. Green clay removes embedded dirt, pollution and impurities. Perfect for normal, oily and dull skin types.
A Few Tips For Maintaining Healthy Skin
Here are a few tips to keep in mind if you are looking to achieve healthy skin. One of the most important things is to maintain consistency and use the right products. If you invest in products that suit your skin type then with regular use you reap the benefits of a routine. Follow some of these tips as a thumb rule.
- Cleanse your face twice a day, once when you wake up from your beauty sleep and once when you come back from a long day. Even if you skip the morning cleanse, don’t sleep with the day’s sweat, dust, sunscreen, and makeup. Night time is for your skin to recover and restore and with impurities on the skin, it can’t repair itself and thus causes breakouts.
- Invest in a serum that offers a targeted approach. Whether you have dull skin, acne, pigmentation, or dry skin, a serum will enter the inner layers of the skin and focus on the problem area alone.
- Occasionally exfoliate your skin with a face scrub or a clay mask that removes impurities and clears out your pores from within. This ensures your skin experiences a deep cleanse once a week and is ready to face the week.
- f you want to balance the excess oil and pH levels of your skin, start incorporating a toner into your routine as well.
Parting Thoughts
The benefits of an argile mask made of kaolin is a great exfoliator and cleanser for oily and acne-prone skin. It unclogs pores, cleans out any impurities, hydrates, smoothens, and brightens the skin from within. It curbs excess oil while also maintaining the natural moisture levels making it suitable for all skin types.
FAQs
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What is kaolin clay?
Kaolin clay is a natural mineral first mined in the Kao-Ling Hill of China. It is a pale, white, soft, fine-textured clay that has multiple uses in the ceramic, paper, and cosmetics industries.
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What are some kaolin clay uses for the skin?
Kaolin is a fine clay that helps remove impurities, excess oil and sweat from the skin to unclog pores and cleanse from within.
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How to use kaolin clay?
You can either get your hands on pure, unadulterated kaolin powder, or mix in some water, milk, apple cider vinegar, green, tea, avocado oil, or rose water to create a thin paste. Apply it to your skin, wait for a few minutes and wash it off. Follow it up with a moisturiser to seal in the moisture,
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Recommend some kaolin powders to DIY a face mask.
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Recommend some kaolin clay masks.
