Facial and Body Clay Masks: All you ever wanted to know about Facial Clay Mask

 

Facial Clay Masks are part of a complete skin care regime and should be included at least twice a week in your daily skin care regime. There are however clays, and then there are high quality, premium cosmetic/beauty clays.

Argiletz clays are amongst the best clays on the market today. They are free from any contaminants and have many beneficial effects on the skin, making them ideal clays to use for facial and body clay masks. But what exactly are these facial clay masks and what do they actually do to your skin that is so beneficial? In this article we will take a close up look at facial clay masks, how they work, what makes them an essential part of your skin care regime and how your skin benefits from their use.

What are clays?

Clays are naturally occurring substances containing minerals, trace elements and nutrients. Clay is a part of most soils and gardeners the world over are very familiar with the properties of clay rich soils.

In the beauty industry however, clays are used in different ways, however, the properties of the clays don’t change, their applications however, do.

Argiletz clays are high quality sun dried clays that come from Argiletz, a region in France, where they are extracted at specific depths in areas that are free from contamination. They are quarried under strict conditions to ensure that their mineral content and purity is retained.

Green Argiletz clay for example is a bio-mineral, which is naturally concentrated, containing various mineral salts and trace elements including: Silica, aluminium, magnesium, calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc, selenium, cobalt, manganese and many others.

 

What do facial clays do? and How do they Work on the skin?

These mineral salts, trace elements and other nutrients listed above have a detoxifying, nourishing, restoring and soothing effect on the skin.

Clay is naturally absorbent and draws toxins from deep in the skin’s tissues, thus cleansing and detoxifying the skin. Its slight grainy texture exfoliates dead skin cells from the surface layer of your skin, while the nutrients contained in the clay have a toning and firming effect on the skin.

By adding plant hydrosols such as Melissa, Niauoli, Rose and others, the natural benefits of the different facial/body clays can be further enhanced.

 

Types of Clays used in Facial/Body Clay Masks by Wildcrafted Herbal Products

There are many clays and types of clay, however in this article I will focus on what are arguably the best quality clays on the market today. The different Argiletz clays used in Wildcrafted Herbal Products’ facial/body clay masks.

Green Clay
The most absorbing of the Clays, Green Clay is generally used as a Face Mask for tissue repair, drawing toxins from the skin and to normalise excessive secretions of oil or sweat. Applied as a Face or Body Mask, facial clay masks cleanse, exfoliate, smooth and soften the skin. Green clay is especially good at drawing toxins out.

White Clay
White clay is a mild clay used for normal skin. It has similar properties as green clay and is suitable for Face and Body Masks for young and sensitive or mature and delicate skins. Applied as a powder, White Clay is an excellent body deodorant and a natural alternative to talcum powder. White Clay is the Clay of Choice for use as a Hand Mask to soothe and soften dry hands.

Red Clay
Red clay is high in iron oxide, hence its colour, and helpful for broken capillaries, bags under the eyes and sensitive skin types. It is used for toning the bust, thighs, stomach and upper arms. Red clay is an oily, mildly absorbent clay and is used for Face and Body Masks in cases of dry, sensitive or mature skin.

Pink Clay
This Clay is intended for use in a maintenance programme for the face and body. The softening effect of Pink Clay refines the skin's texture while toning the epidermis (outer layer of the skin).

Yellow Clay
Yellow clay is used for normal skin and has similar properties as green clay. This clay is derived from the iron oxide, Xanthoria Parietina. Yellow Clay is generally used for Face and Body Masks, particularly in cases where the condition of the skin and body needs revitalising. Yellow Clay is recommended for most skin types to restore tired and neglected skin.

Note: Be careful of coloured clays, there are many manufacturers that add dies to clay to produce artificially coloured clays, which do not have the same properties of effects and may well do you more harm than good. So choose carefully.

 

What are the effects of Natural Clays on the skin?

As indicated above, Argiletz Clays are pure, mineral-rich clays that help detoxify, cleanse, tone and revitalise your skin when used in masks and/or in body/face creams. They also have a nutritive effect on the skin. It is important to choose the right facial clay for your skin (www.wildcrafted.com.au/Facial_Clays.html).

How to use the clays?

Wildcrafted’s Earth Medicine Facial Clays should be used once or twice a week, prior to toning and moisturising, as a special cleansing skin treatment. The gel based clay blends can be used as a gentle, conditioning exfoliant scrub, whilst the cream based clay blends can be used as a mask to nourish, moisturise and hydrate.

Masks
Wildcrafted’s Cream based clays are designed for use as masks. Apply sufficient Clay Crème to the face and neck and leave on for 10-15 minutes. Rinse off in warm water.

Facial Gel Wash
Wildcrafted’s Gel based facial clay washes are designed for use as gentle exfoliant and toning scrubs. Simply moisten the face and neck with warm water and apply a small amount of Clay Gel and massage into a light foam for 2 minutes. Rinse off with warm water.

 

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Importance of your skin's pH.
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Daily Skin Care Regime - Why is a daily skin care regime important?
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So remember to make a natural facial clay mask part of your skin care regime and your skin will soon show you its appreciation.

 

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How Do Different Seasons Affect Your Skin?

Unless you live in the tropics where the climate remains relatively constant throughout the year, you will experience seasonal changes and so does your skin. Even the tropics experience a change, namely the wet season (summer) and the dry season (winter). So let's start with these two.

In Summer, the temperature is generally higher than in winter and we often resort to cooling the environment around us by the use of air conditioning or at least using fans to circulate air which helps to cools us off a little.

In the case of fans, the circulating air helps to evaporate water (perspiration) off our skin and in so during, the skin is cooled and this helps to cool the body. The loss of water through perspiration has a dehydrating effect on our skin unless we drink increased amounts of water and other re-hydrating fluids. Similarly, air conditioning moves / circulates air, which has the same effect as the fans, but in addition, an air conditioner removes (some) water from the air and cools the air at the same time, creating a dryer, cooler environment in the air conditioned space.

An other factor of consideration is that heat tends to cause opening of the skin's pores. This in turn allows for increased sebum secretion (oil secretion) and thus our skin can get a little more oily than usual. As a consequence, the stale oil on the skin combined with environmental dust and other pollutants can lead to blocked pores and result in black heads or acne pimples.

So what does that mean to our skin?
Well, for starters the drying effect from fans and air conditioning needs to be addressed. Make sure you increase your hydrating fluid intake during summer. What I mean by 'hydrating fluid' is water, herbal teas which are not diuretic such as peppermint or other mint type herbs, fruit juices, and smoothies (ice blended with various fruit and a little yogurt).

In addition, your skin care regime needs to include facial/body masks as well as exfoliation using a good, natural exfoliant. This does two things.

First, the exfoliant keeps the dead skin cell layer to a minimum, thus the heat exchange between your blood (body) and the surrounding air is efficient and cooling is more easily achieved.

Secondly, the masks will help to keep pores clean and help in their functions of secreting fluid which is then evaporated from your skin to keep you cool.

Keeping your skin clean is the first step. The second part to keeping your skin hydrated is to use your moisturiser a bit more often. Moisturising your skin 3 maybe even 4 or more times a day will help to keep it hydrated and in addition provide protection from the environment (at least to some extent).

If your skin type changes from normal to oily during summer, then you should also change your skin care system to treat oily skin, rather than using the system for normal skin. It is important to remember that with the changing of the seasons, your activity levels may change together with the types of foods you eat and the fluids you drink. They all contribute to your internal environment and this is reflected by your skin.

Remember your skin is a living, breathing organ that adapts to the environment and therefore you need to adapt your skin care approach accordingly.

The other seasonal extreme is Winter. In winter, the air is generally cooler - in some parts of the world it is freezing and thus our skin reacts just as it does in summer to the change in climate.

Unlike summer, during winter we tend to ad heat to our physical environment and like air conditioning, heating too dries the air reducing its moisture content. It is a principle of physics that if you are in a dry environment, your body will loose moisture to the dry environment. Hydration is therefore very important and necessary to stop your skin from becoming dry.

Dry and cracked lips are classic symptoms of dehydration that often appear during late Autumn and Winter. But the drying of the skin goes beyond the lips. Just like in Summer, your skin needs the right skin care regime to keep it moist and hydrated.

While in Summer normal skin may become slightly oily, in Winter normal skin will tend to become dry and in some people even increase in sensitivity. This is because the cold air will tend to close the pores rather than open them as happens during summer. So the bodies natural oils are not being secreted onto the skin and thus the natural oils that protect the skin are reduced and the skin will be more vulnerable.

Again it becomes necessary to increase the frequency of applying your moisturising cream and drink warming, hydrating fluids. You may want to consider using a nourishing night cream during this time, if you don't already use one.

People suffering from Eczema/Dermatitis, which gets worse in Winter, need to pay particular attention to their fluid intake. I know from personal experience, that if I do not drink enough water, my skin soon lets me know and becomes very dry, itchy and irritated.

It easy to forget to drink water and other hydrating fluids during winter, because the temperatures are lower and the heat of summer which tends to make one want to drink cooling drinks is not there to remind us.

For people with oily skin types, Winter is often a 'good time', because the cold climate causes the skin's pores to close and thus less sebum is secreted. Similarly, people with dry skin types tend to have a reprieve in summer when pores open and secrete more oils that lubricate the otherwise dry skin.

Again it is important for either scenario to adapt the skin care regime to the changes in the skin. So if you have 'normal' skin in winter (oily skin types), than use a skin care system suitable for normal skin. Conversely, if you have a normal skin type in Summer (dry skin types), than change the skin care system to suit. Your skin changes with the seasons and therefore so should your skin care system.

Often the 'normal skin type' or 'true skin type' is most obvious during the mid-Autumn/mid-Spring seasons. These seasons are usually mild, representing an 'average' of the seasonal extremes. It is then that your true skin type(s) is most easily determined.

I'll give you an example. Most of the year round, my skin type is generally normal to dry from the neck down. My face has a tendency to a slightly oily T-Zone, while the lower half of my face and cheeks are slightly on the dry side and my neck is normal.

In summer, my T-Zone gets oilier and the rest of my body's skin stays mostly normal, maybe with a slight tendency to dryness. In Winter, my oily T-Zone becomes normal, the rest of my face stays normal to dry, but my lower legs become very dry unless I stay on top of it and make sure I drink enough fluids and use plenty of moisturising cream.

Remember that most people have several skin types over their body and especially on their face. It is more common to see two skin types, as illustrated in the example above, than just one uniform skin type.

As I mentioned, mid-Spring and mid-Autumn are like the average of Summer and Winter and often during this time, your 'true' skin type is revealed. However you need to be aware that even during these two seasons your skin type may change as either Winter or Summer gets closer.

So get to know your skin and how it reacts to the changing seasons; adapt your skin care system and make sure you use natural skin care products to ensure you do not introduce potentially toxic chemicals into your body.

 

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Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine (Part 1): Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Cupping

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a history of well over 2000 years and is still the most widely used system of medicine in the world today. However, in western countries, up until recently, the only aspect of Chinese medicine that was widely accepted was Acupuncture.

Only in the past 10-15 years have other aspects of Chinese medicine, such as Chinese herbal medicine, gained increasing exposure and acceptance.

Traditional Chinese Medicine includes the following disciplines:

• Acupuncture, Moxibustion and Cupping
• Chinese herbal medicine
• Tai Chi & Qi Gong (Exercise/Meditation)
• Tuina (Chinese massage)
• Dietary and lifestyle considerations

 

What is Acupuncture, Moxibusion and Cupping?

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is the use of very fine stainless steel needles, which are inserted into specific locations on the body's skin, where acupuncture points are located. Each major point belongs to a specific energy channel, known as a meridian. These meridians interconnect with various body parts and other meridians.

Stimulation of points has both local and distal effects and when combined with specifically selected groups of points, they affect specific health problems.

To really understand how acupuncture works, it is necessary to become familiar with the basics of Chinese philosophy. The philosophies of the Dao or Tao, yin and yang, the eight principles, the three treasures and the five elements are all fundamental to traditional Chinese acupuncture and its specific role in helping to maintain good health and a person's well-being.

There are several books on Chinese medicine available in our book shop. The book by Ted J. Kaptchuk "Chinese Medicine: The Web That Has No Weaver", is a personal favourite of mine and I have been using it on a regular basis for many years. It is written both for they lay person as well as the practitioner and is easy to read and understand.

 

Moxibustion

Acupuncture is often combined with a practice known as Moxibustion. Moxibustion is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves the burning of mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), a small, spongy herb, to facilitate healing. Moxibustion has been used throughout Asia for thousands of years. The purpose of moxibustion, as with most forms of traditional Chinese medicine, is to strengthen the blood, stimulate the flow of qi, and maintain general health.

The herb mugwort is either rolled into sticks for indirect moxa (sort for moxibustion), or molded into tiny cones and burned on ointment or a thin ginger slice. That is called direct moxa. In Chinese, the term for acupuncture is "Zhen Jiu." The "Zhen" means "needle," and the "Jiu" means "moxa." Thus, acupuncture and moxibustion have been paired therapies for hundreds of years.

Moxa may also be attached to the handle end of Acupuncture needles after they have been inserted into the patient's body. The heat from the burning moxa, heats the needle, and the metal conducts the heat down into the muscles, where it is most needed.

 

Cupping

Cupping refers to an ancient Chinese practice in which a cup (usually glass these days) is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced, causing a vacuum, so that the skin and superficial muscle layer is drawn into and held in the cup. In some cases, the cup may be moved while the suction of skin is active, causing a regional pulling of the skin and muscle (the technique is called gliding cupping).

Cupping is applied by acupuncturists to certain acupuncture points, as well as to regions of the body that are affected by pain (where the pain is deeper than the tissues to be pulled). Lubrication of the skin allows for movement of the cups allows the cup along the muscles and or meridians, without causing excessive subcutaneous bruising. Some bruising is expected both from fixed position cupping (especially at the site of the cup rim) and with movement of the cups.

Traditional cupping, with use of heated cups, also has some similarity to moxibustion therapy. Heating of the cups was the method used to obtain suction: the hot air in the cups has a low density and, as the cups cool with the opening sealed by the skin, the pressure within the cups declines, sucking the skin into it. In this case, the cups are hot and have a stimulating effect something like that of burning moxa wool.

In some cases, a small amount of blood letting is done first, using a pricking needle or dermal hammer, and then the cup is applied over the site. The pricking is usually done with a three-edged needle, applied to a vein, and it typically draws 3–4 drops of blood (sometimes the skin on either side is squeezed to aid release of blood). A standard thick-gauge acupuncture needle or plum blossom needle may be used instead. This technique is said to promote blood circulation, remove stasis, and alleviate swelling and pain. It is employed especially when there is a toxic heat syndrome and for a variety of acute ailments.

 

How are these therapies used and what conditions do they work on?

In my clinical experience, Acupuncture, moxibustion and cupping can be used for almost any condition from simple aches and pains to complex systemic diseases. However, Acupuncture and its associated therapies of moxibustion and cupping are very useful to treat muscles problems such as Arthritis, Back pain, and Rheumatic disorders. In addition, they can help lung conditions, digestive problems, neurological and psychological problems, and many more diseases and health conditions.

However, in my practice I nearly always combine the treatment of Acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine, especially for the more complex diseases and syndromes. Gynaecological problems especially react very well to Chinese herbal therapy and I often do not use Acupuncture on these conditions at all - this does not imply however that Acupuncture does not work with these conditions, it does, but I choose to use herbs to treat them.

Belief it or not, receiving Acupuncture is very relaxing and as a result it works extremely well for conditions associated with or caused by stress. Insomnia, headaches, digestive upsets/imbalances, etc. all respond well to Acupuncture. Similarly, the flu and common cold respond extremely well to Acupuncture, although again I would also combine the Acupuncture with Chinese herbs to treat viral/bacterial infections.

Remember that Chinese medicine (which includes Acupuncture etc.) has been treating disease for over 2000 years! Western medicine is only 200 years young and does not have the rich history or wealth of experience the Chinese medical system does.

Chinese medicine is a primary contact medical system that has worked for millennia and will continue to do so. It is after all the western pharmaceutical companies that are looking to the Chinese herbs for answers to treat many of today's health problems such as AIDS, Hepatitis, Cancer to mention a few - not the other way round...

Next month we'll look at Chinese herbal medicine...

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