Rhassoul Clay - Cosmetic Recipes For Skin And Hair

If you are a fan of natural cosmetics, the cold season and confinement due to the coronavirus is the ideal time to create your own line of personalized organic products with your favorite ingredients. After handmade soaps, DIY body butters, natural face masks, lip balms without chemical ingredients, today we explain to you how to care for your skin and your hair using rhassoul clay. Read on!

Rhassoul clay - beauty and anti-aging miracle product

Rhassoul clay is a wonderful powder, native to the Atlas Mountains in Morocco that has many cosmetic uses for skin and hair. Extracted for over 1,400 years, it is an essential beauty product that every Moroccan woman takes to the hammam. The main components of clay include calcium, magnesium, potassium, and silica. It also has a special molecular architecture that allows it to absorb excess oil and dirt stains.

What is rhassoul clay generally used for?

• Hair shampoo
• Conditions and softens hair
• Treats dry, scaly scalp and dandruff
• Natural skin soap
• Face masks
• Body scrubs

How to prepare Moroccan clay for cosmetic use? How to store?

Rhassoul clay has a reddish brown color and can be supplied as a powder or small pieces. If you use it raw, it must be powdered before preparing skin masks. For this purpose, we advise you to grind it in an old bowl because it is quite abrasive and could damage the surface of your kitchenware. In this state, clay has a very long shelf life - about 4-5 years.

The clay paste for use in shampoo, soap, masks and scrubs is easy to whip. Simply place the powder in a container and add water. Let stand for about 5 minutes. Once the clay is hydrated, it can be stirred to achieve a smooth, consistent preparation that will be easy to apply with your fingers. At this point, you can add any other ingredients you want to incorporate.

In case you've made more clay paste than you need, you can save it for later. Just put it in an airtight container, then cover it with a little water and put a piece of plastic wrap on it to slow down the drying.

Uses on the skin

The vitamins and minerals contained in rhassoul clay interact with the chemistry of your skin. As a result, your circulatory system is invigorated. The more blood flows to your dermis, the healthier and more youthful it looks. Since skin cells heal more intensely than before, blemishes can fade with surprising speed. Acne, scars and fine lines also become less prominent.

Effectively, Rhassoul clay does not shrink pores as much as other clays such as bentonite clay, but the addition of vegetable oils has a moisturizing effect on the skin.

Masks and facial scrubs are typically used to unclog pores and exfoliate. Combine about a tablespoon of clay and two tablespoons of lukewarm water. From there, you might consider adding a few drops of argan oil (for extremely dry skin). After careful mixing, you will get a paste with a consistency similar to that of mud. You can then apply on the face and neck. Do not leave on for more than 15 minutes!

Furthermore, it should be noted that argan oil is not the only option for an effective face mask. There are other essential oils that may be preferred depending on the sensitivity of your dermis. Here are some examples:

• lavender essential oil for sensitive skin
• bergamot for oily skin
• geranium for dry skin (also used in home cosmetics to reduce wrinkles)
• sandalwood to fight acne-causing bacteria, relieve sunburns and the first signs of aging
• tea tree to treat acne, redness and inflammation
• Frankincense essential oil for mature and damaged skin

Rhassoul anti-acne mask recipe

You can use this mask to minimize pores, reduce / prevent breakouts, and fade blemishes.

Mix 1 tablespoon of rhassoul clay, 1 teaspoon of honey, 2 drops of tea tree oil and a little water to form a paste. Apply to skin and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse with lukewarm water. Your face will be clean and smooth.

Moroccan rhassoul facial cleanser

To have soft and glowing skin, mix 1 teaspoon of rhassoul clay with a few drops of water (or rose water) to make a paste. Massage your face and neck and rinse.

Natural soap or shower gel

Rhassoul clay is ideal for removing fat from the skin as well as unblocking pores. Its natural, soft and abrasive texture also makes it an excellent alternative to soaps and shower gels.

To try this natural cleanser, make up your clay paste - it will probably take 20g or more for a shower. Then wet your body before applying the clay using an exfoliating glove. Moreover, when used as a soap or shower gel, the clay does not need to dry out. After rinsing and wiping the skin, scrub your dermis with your favorite moisturizer.

Peeling for the whole body

This soothing and healing mud wrap is sure to give you a spa experience at home.

Take ½ cup of rhassoul clay, ½ cup of oatmeal and 1 tablespoon of coconut oil. Also add a little water to make a smooth paste. Apply and leave on for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse.

Uses on hair

A rhassoul clay mask works wonders on the hair. It naturally cleanses the scalp by eliminating impurities, toxins and accumulations without depriving the roots of their sebum. This mud has the ability to improve the elasticity of the mane, reduce frizz and remove dandruff.

This Moroccan clay hydrates the skin, stops itching and irritation, treats eczema and psoriasis. Rhassoul is also believed to reduce hair loss. If the product is mixed with argan oil, it gives volume and shine to the strands. However, frequent use is not recommended for people with thin hair.

DIY organic shampoo

In fact, pure Rhassoul clay is alkaline with a pH different from that of hair. Natural shampoo can therefore leave your mane less shiny than normal compared to chemicals. To avoid this problem, for example, you can add a little acidic product to your clay paste - such as Aloe Vera gel or apple cider vinegar. Or, you can also add a few drops of your favorite essential oils to the preparation.

To prepare your own shampoo you will need:

• 2-3 tablespoons of rhassoul clay
• 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel
• enough water to make a liquid paste

Put the clay and aloe vera gel in a bowl, slowly add lukewarm water to make a liquid paste. That's it ! Your shampoo is ready. To use, massage the product into the scalp and hair, leave on for 3 to 5 minutes, then rinse well.

Detox hair mask recipe

• 3 tablespoons of rhassoul clay
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon of argan oil
• 1 tablespoon of honey
• 5 drops of peppermint essential oil (optional)
• 5 to 6 tablespoons of water

Put all the ingredients except the water in a bowl. Then slowly add water and stir until you get a smooth paste that is more liquid than thick, so easy to apply. Apply section by section to damp hair and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes to do its magic. Rinse it off with water. Wash the hairs with shampoo as usual.

Moroccan Rhassoul soap (cold saponified)

A quick overview of what you will need to make soap at home. The latter is usually a combination of vegetable oils, essential oils, and laundry products. You can add clays such as Rhassoul, as well as binding additives such as mango butter for example.

Ingredients

• 230 ml olive oil
• 230 ml of coconut oil
• 230 ml palm oil
• 90 ml of castor oil
• 60 ml melted mango butter
• 130 ml of caustic soda
• 300 ml of distilled water
• 4 teaspoons of Rhassoul clay
• 30 ml of lavender essential oil or other organic oil

In reality, home soap production requires certain skills. For more details, see our article on homemade soaps!

Precautions to be taken when using rhassoul clay

Rhassoul clay is safe for most people with a few exceptions. If you have an allergy to metallic elements like aluminum or magnesium, avoid using the product. Same if you have psoriasis, severe eczema or other chronic skin conditions. In addition, Moroccan clay could dry out or irritate your skin if applied too frequently.

The powder is not good for chemically dyed hair as the chemicals in the hair dye tend to react with its minerals, thereby dulling your color.

Rhassoul dries very quickly and if this happens on the hair, hair breakage can be caused. So make sure the dough is runny enough. If necessary, cover the strands with a silicone cap to protect from too fast drying.

Lastly, you should never take rhassoul clay internally for any reason!