I tend to really plaster my face masks on, like I’m trying to lay tiles on my face or something. It seems to do the trick, so I continue to spread my clay concoctions on thickly (if more is better with Nutella, it must be true with masks as well, yes?). Anyhow, I thought I’d try something different. Well, it was an accident, but still. I ended up trying a thinner mask with more oil, and I liked what happened.
I say “ended up” because I was bound and determined to finish off a bottle of safflower oil that just had a wee bit left in it. It turned out that the “wee bit” was more than enough to make the mask too oily to pack on—it would just sort of peel/fall off when I’d take scoops of it to my skin. Instead, it had to be gently massaged into the skin, giving me a much thinner mask that was far less drying thanks to all the safflower oil (I used about a teaspoon compared to 5–10 drops for my usual masks).
I started with two newer clays—Multani Mitti (or Fuller’s Earth) and Zeolite Ultrafine. I used mostly Multani Mitti because I wanted to get a feel for it. It’s an ancient beauty ingredient, said to brighten the skin, fade scars, hydrate, and flush toxins. It’s a fluffy, yellow/brown clay, with a faint scent characteristic of clay.
I added essential oils of rose, frankincense, and cardamom. I wanted something exotic and spicy. Something reminiscent India (where the clay is from); of spice markets, brightly painted buildings, colorful saris, and hot weather. These three oils fit the bill nicely, giving me a final fragrance of warm spice with a hint of sweet roses. Lovely.
I also added half a teaspoon of raw honey from a summer farmers market. Mmm, honey. Not only is it antibacterial, but it helps keeps masks from being too tightening.
The safflower oil and enough water to form a paste finished things off, giving me a thick, creamy, yellow mask. I massaged small amounts into my skin and let it dry for about forty minutes (mostly because I got caught up in other things, though! 15–20 minutes would be fine). Directly after washing it off my face was smooth and wonderfully warm from increased circulation. I wouldn’t go as far as saying it felt moisturized (clay is very drying), but it was FAR less dry than my standard masks.
My face was still pleasantly warm even two hours later (after that I went to bed, so I can’t attest to what it was like past that).
Gentle Spiced Face Mask
2 tbsp Multani Mitti (Fuller’s Earth) clay
2 tsp Zeolite ultrafine clay
½ tsp raw honey
5 drops 10% dilution rose essential oil
2 drops frankincense essential oil
2 drops cardamom essential oil
1 tsp safflower oil (or any other mild carrier oil)Mix everything together in a small container, adding just enough warm water to make a paste (work up to it slowly!)
Slowly massage the resulting paste into your face using a circular motion. Cover your face in it and let dry for about 20 minutes. Wipe off afterwards and moisturize with some argan oil.
Oh now I REALLY have to order more clay from NDA! And maybe some EOs… at least I already have the raw honey?? Though I’m wondering if actual spices could be added (at least in the case of cardamom) instead of EO and have the same effect? Either way, I’m sure I’ll try some form of this soon.
I made a mask last week that I decided to add jojoba oil to, but made the mistake of not measuring–I just squirted it in (probably almost a tablespoon… oops!). It mixed fine, but it would NOT stick to my face. It kept pooling in some spots and disappearing in others. Not that masks are attractive to begin with, but this just looked like a child had finger painted all over my face. And I slather my masks on, too! Rubbing it around did nothing either. I didn’t have the heart to wash it off right away, so I kept it on for a good 45 minutes–basically I got tired of waiting for it to dry. I’m glad your attempt was more successful 😛
OOh, I bet the ground cardamom would be great scent-wise, though I doubt it would have the same therapeutic effects since it’s not as concentrated. You might consider toasting it and grinding it right before use for maximum scent potential.
I’ve definitely crossed the oily mask into the way too oily mask line before, haha. Greasy clumps of ickiness, lol. Whoops!
Thanks, good to know! I might cave and buy the EO… we’ll see!
I just found your blog today when I was searching for things to do with the load of beeswax we just harvested from our hives, and it’s absolutely lovely!
I have one question about the mask–do you think that it would work with just one type of clay? The only one I have right now is white kaolin, which I use combined with oat flour and dried lavender for an everyday cleanser.
Magdalen—You can definitely use just one kind of clay, though that will give a different result (though I’m sure it will still be in the range of nice, cleansing facial mask, which is what matters, right?). Your everyday cleanser sounds great—I have an entry for something similar going up soon 😛
Also, I am so jealous of your freshly harvested, at-home beeswax! Send me some? 🙂
I’m curious if you could clarify for me what 10% dilution rose essential oil is please?? I understand what essential oil is, but if its diluted doesnt that just make it a scented oil? or should i dilute it myself into a carrier oil??
It’s very simple—1 part rose essential oil to 9 parts carrier oil. Rose EO is often sold diluted as it is so very expensive (~$60/5mL), so I used a dilution here to make the recipe more accessible to everyone, myself included 😛 If you have the pure stuff, you can either use approximately 1/10th of the amount, or create your own dilution on a low-scent carrier oil of your choice.
I have been reading your blog this weekend, and have really been enjoying it. You do all the things I wish I had time for (with twin infants, soapmaking is not in the realm of possibilities!).
I noticed you seem to be a huge clay fan, which I am too. I first got into it when I bought an “umbrian clay bar” by Fresh from Sephora, and it worked wonders on my skin/acne. Then I realized, I shouldn’t have to pay $40 for plain clay! So I bought some french green clay, added a small amount of water, and made my own clay bar.
The reason I’m writing is because I noticed in one of your posts you mention doing a thick clay mask weekly, which sounds nice. But another option is to do a thin clay bar mask (you wet one end of the bar and rub it across your face until there’s a light coating) daily. It soaks all of the makeup etc from the day out of your skin, but it’s not overkill for a daily cleanser.
Thanks again for your blog 🙂 I just subscribed, and look forward to future posts 🙂
Oooh, what a cool idea! Do you add anything else to your clay bars (essential oils, etc)? I’m sensing another clay-themed blog entry here 😉
I don’t, but mostly because I hadn’t thought of it! 🙂 I also am conflicted on the principle–if the clay is to draw things *out* of my skin, why am I adding things to the mask I want my skin to absorb? But if there’s an actual answer to that question, I would love to know.
For now, I just use the plain mask bar, and add anything to my skin I want afterwards (I use argan oil, which I notice you like, but also sometimes I’ll add a retinol skin product as well.)
Yes, haha, that is a very good point 😛 It is worth mentioning that many clays are said to give your skin a mineral boost from their various mineral contents, so they can’t just be vacuums. I shall keep my eyes peeled for more details on this…
Great mask, thanks for the idea. I also added maybe a third of a teaspoon of turmeric and a few drops of lemon. Instead of rose EO I used rose water. Looked bright and cheery.
There are just so many therapeutic values I want on my face all at once but they are just never as effective that way. At least it gives me more masks to experiment with in the long run though ;o)
Thanks again,
Puja
Awesome! I think it’s about time for my weekly face mask, come to think of it 😉