Clay, as perceived in modern society, goes against all we have been instructed to believe in the last century. Children are taught it is bad to get dirty or that dirt carries germs.
Yet for millions of years, societies all over the world have proven that clay has a very important place in our lives. Not only were our first vessels and shelters formed from clay, but nearly every civilization has used clay to support health and well-being.
Until very recently, clay was a well accepted necessity for human survival. Western science dismissed it, preferring sterility, but it’s now beginning to substantiate ancient knowledge and provide us with even new understanding.
For example, we now know that healing clays have incredible absorption qualities to draw bad things out of our body.
Clays also provide essential minerals that much of our over-farmed soils have become depleted with.
We know that stepping barefoot into clay rebalances EVERY SINGLE bodily system, while touching clay with our hands has been scientifically proven to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.
Recent studies have been focused on clay’s antibacterial qualities, which have astounded many medical professionals.
How bizarre it must some to many in the modern world that a possible solution to reversing infection is to apply earth (what we call dirt) to it, but that this dirt can also kill bacteria!
The fascinating research is very timely, as bacteria becomes more resistant and adaptive to antibiotics. It seems that good old-fashioned clay might – at least in some infections – provide an effective solution.
Not only will some clays fight certain bacteria, but others are successful in promoting granulation, or the growth of new tissue and skin, once the infection has been destroyed. How can clays break and build simultaneously, you ask? Everything that humankind produces seems to only be able to do one or the other. Mother Earth, however, has eons more experience than us. She is so unbelievably iterative that even her most basic, dry matter carries enormous potential.
In the space of skincare, we have seen first-hand about how clay revitalizes the skin, no doubt due to its absorption and adsorption abilities combined with antibacterial qualities and promotion of new tissue growth.
When healing clays (earth) dried by sun (fire) are mixed together with a liquid (water), applied to the skin and then allowed to dry (air), something serious magic can occur. It is an elemental explosion!
We often hear about it’s detoxifying and anti-acne capabilities, which are absolutely true, but healing clays can restore the skin in even deeper ways, especially over time. One of the hallmark benefits is toning the skin, leaving it not only clearer but firmer. Hence why we named our clay mask Terra Firma.
For our Terra Firma Clay Mask, we use a blend of 4 different clays for their unique mineral profiles. Australian Pink Clay offers us silica, magnesium, selenium and zinc. French Pink Clay offers us illite, monmorillonite and calcite. Kaolin White Clay contains high doses of silica as well as calcium, plus it’s incredibly gentle for sensitive skin. Bentonite Clay brilliantly draws out things with a positive charge – toxins, bacteria, fungi, dirt, excess sebum, etc. – while also being able to regenerate skin tissues.
We grind up these clays together with 4 favorite botanicals… Calendula for its countless skin-healing wonders, Roses for their softening properties and antioxidants, Chamomile for its calming and protective qualities, and dried Aloe Vera for its ability to deeply moisturize and correct a wide variety of skin issues.
You can learn even more about each of these in the page, Our Ingredients.
We also use the gentle power of clays in our Baby Powder and Baby Booty Balm. Yes they are perfectly safe for baby skin! The clays give both of these diapering products their uncanny ability to ward off bacteria and fungus, soothe rashes and protect the skin from moisture related irritations.
Note: When we talk about healing clay and mud, we are not talking about industrially-mixed soil. We are talking about natural clay that the Earth has spent millions, or perhaps billions, of years fashioning.
Some ways to get down and dirty with muds or clays:
- Apply mud to your skin
- Take a mud or clay bath
- Kick off your shoes and go barefoot
- Let your feet sink into the bottom of a riverbed
- Hold clay in your hand
- Take up pottery – even better if it’s wild pottery, or wild clay
- Create earth pigments (colors, dyes) with natural clays and muds
- Finger paint with natural clays and muds (super fun with kids)
- Paint your face in mud
Would love to hear any more of your ideas! As you can see, a little dirt won’t hurt. In fact, it might do us a lot of good.
For those of us living in industrial societies, we are literally the only living beings on this planet who are not constantly connected to the earth’s electric energy. And the earth is powerfully electric, just as our bodies are. It’s very much worth connecting to as often as possible.
Featured title image by @memori.studio_