Beauty

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How Do I Choose the Best Clay Soap?

Patti Kate

Last Modified Date: February 16, 2024

Clay soaps may be available as a body wash or as a bar soap. Various types of clay also are used for making soaps, each with specific benefits. It's best to choose the clay soap formulated for your skin type. You may prefer pure clay soap or those with added ingredients, such as avocado or oatmeal. For sensitive skin, choose clay soaps that have been dermatologist tested and are free of perfumes and dyes.

It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various ingredients used for creating clay soaps. Recognize the purpose and benefits of these ingredients so you will know what to look for when you shop. Mineral oil or jojoba oil have a moisturizing effect, which is good for dry skin. You should also recognize the benefits of various types of clay to decide which is best for your skin type.

If you prefer a soap that has a milky texture, choose a bar made with kaolin clay. This is good for gentle facial cleansing and may heal dry patches. Kaolin clay soap can also be used for bathing. Bathing with rhassul clay soaps will give you the health benefits of a mineral bath at home.

For oily skin or ease in removing make-up, choose clay soaps made from bentonite. Look for the added ingredient of tea tree oil if you prefer an antiseptic soap. If you'd like a fresh scent, choose a clay soap made with garden herbs. Most herbal clay soaps are all natural.

Clay soaps with bentonite are good for those with oily skin.

Choosing an organic clay soap is a good idea if you have concerns about additives. Read the packaging carefully and look for plant-based clay soaps. The packaging should state the product comes from an organic farm. Most organic clay soaps will not have ingredients such as dyes, artificial colors, or animal products.

In addition to cleansing, green clay soaps are often used for relieving sore muscles. Some people prefer bathing with green clay soap to relieve the discomfort of arthritis. Additionally. many people use green clay powder when making a hot compress for aching muscles.

You might want to make your own homemade clay soaps. To do so, choose your favorite clay powder and add a few other ingredients, such as melted coconut oil. Alternately, you can add lavender essential oil to clay powder, which may help you relax. You can find extensive homemade clay soap recipes by searching online.

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Discussion Comments

serenesurface

January 12, 2015

@SteamLouis-- You might also want to check online stores. I use a Japanese clay soap that I get online. You are right that this type of soap is not available everywhere. But a single bar lasts a long time. So if you like it, you can order four or five and it will get you through the year probably, depending on how often you use it.

Aside from clay, my soap also has charcoal and papaya enzyme. It's great but I do have to use a moisturizer afterward because it can be a bit too drying for combination skin.

discographer

January 12, 2015

@SteamLouis-- Well, no, clay and mud are not the same. They may have similar benefits though. And I know that some of these products are becoming more popular because they contain mud from certain parts of the world like the Dead Sea.

I use a clay soap though and I sincerely feel that this is the best type of soap for oily acne prone skin. It's literally absorbs the oil on the skin but doesn't upset the natural balance of skin. I have not gotten any new pimples since I started to use this soap. I only wish I had discovered it sooner.

I recommend buying from a well known brand. And the soap should be all natural. Have you checked organic stores in your area? That's where I got my clay soap -- the organic store.

SteamLouis

January 12, 2015

Is there a difference between clay soap and mud soap? A coworker recommended that I use clay soap to fight oily skin but I'm having difficulty finding one. I have found a mud soap though. Will I get the same benefits out of mud soap?