This DIY clay mask is a fantastic way to brighten, hydrate and detox your skin all at the same time. It is a triple threat to say the least. It’s easy to make and does not contain harmful ingredients!
Let me tell you-way too much thought and experimenting has gone into this post! First I was trying to re-make Proactiv’s Refining Mask-I’m sure many of you are familiar with the sulfur smelling, creamy clay mask? Well, the problem with re-doing that mask is the sulfur. I could not find a legit source for it. I found that eggs contain a good amount of sulfur so I originally created a mask with an egg and a scoop of kaolin clay. I’m concerned that the skin will not reap the benefits of sulfur by simply putting an egg on your face! It might, but I have no way to really know. Plus, it turned out very watery and while the results were good-I don’t feel that it was post worthy and certainly not a good alternative for the Proactiv mask. I did however really like the mask and at the end of this post will give you a revised version that won’t be so watery.
So moving on-I’m going to give you a recipe for a mask that will be more like a spa treatment rather then a mask for 13 year old teenager. This mask has more of the texture I was looking for and with the help of a couple of easy to find ingredients, will detox and nurture your skin all at the same time!
One more point I would like to make is that I also wanted to make a mask that you could make at least 2 ounces of then store for more applications but when it comes to clay, making your mask the day you plan to use it is more potent and powerful. Fresh is always best.
I’ve decided to keep the base the same as the Proactiv Mask which is Kaolin. I omitted everything else and added Vitamin C also known as L.Ascorbic Acid. Vitamin C is excellent for brightening the skin as well as encouraging collagen production. It is easy to add into products but because it becomes unstable when it is not in it’s powder form, we must use it quickly (3-5 days) once it’s mixed with other ingredients. That’s why I think it’s perfect for this 1 application mask recipe!
Benefits of Kaolin Clay:
Kaolin clay is a white powdery clay that helps cleanse, detox, heal, nourish and tone the skin. It’s used like any other clay-you just add liquid and let it set on the skin while it goes to work!
One of the great things about clay is that it gets blood pumping at the surface of the skin. This will help oxygenate the skin cells which in turn keeps the cells performing as they should. The more blood flow to an area, the more healing takes place. Kaolin clay is rich in phyto-nutrients and essential minerals.
When used as a mask, it adheres to oil, dead cells and blackhead. Get ready for soft radiant skin!
**If you made your own mineral makeup from THIS post, don’t forget that recipe calls for kaolin clay so you might already have it!**
DIY Vitamin C Clay Mask:
- 1 tsp. Aloe Vera Gel (find it HERE)
- 1/8 tsp. L. Ascorbic Acid (find it HERE)
- 1 tbsp. Kaolin Clay (find it HERE)
- 3 drops Eucalyptus Essential Oil (find it HERE)
Directions:
- In a small bowl add aloe vera and l. ascorbic acid
- Mix and allow the powder to dissolve. (it’s OK if it doesn’t dissolve completely)
- Add kaolin clay into the aloe vera/vitamin C mix.
- Mix with a spoon until a creamy consistency forms.
- Apply a thin layer to the skin.
- Leave on until you feel the mask tightening and drying. (for me that was 5 minutes)
- Remove with cool water.
- Wait an hour or so to tone and apply a moisturizer.
After removing this mask, your skin will feel hot and appear red. This is from the clay. It has increased blood flow to the surface of your skin which is oxygenating your skin cells! After applying this mask, my skin is so baby smooth. In other words-get ready for radiant, healthy skin!
I suggest doing this mask weekly if you are oily. It’s excellent for oily skin. It’s beneficial for dry skin as well but you will feel in need of extra moisture afterwards. Read HERE about how to properly use a clay mask if you are dry.
In all my experimenting, I did find that in order to make a creamy clay mask you need around 1 tsp. of liquid to 1 tbsp. of clay. So back to the egg/kaolin clay mask-I didn’t try it but it stands to reason that using the whole egg white is just way too much liquid for only 1 tbsp. of kaolin clay. So, you could either reduce your egg whites down to only 1 tsp. or up your clay.
So, there it is. 1 extremely easy recipe that took 3 different re-writes and at least 4 different mask experiments to get it right. AHHH-Oh well-I guess it’s probably the Thanksgiving hangover!
xx, Jenni
P.S. And if you’d like to know the ingredients of the Proactive Refining Mask just for fun, here ya go-get ready to puke.
Proactive Refining Mask Ingredients:
Active Ingredients: Sulfur 6% Inactive ingredients: Water (Aqua), Kaolin, Glycreth-26, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ceteareth-20, Linolenic Acid, Linoleic Acid, Arachidonic Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Zinc Oxide, Hydrated Silica, Tocopheryl Acetate, Lemongrass Exrtract, Geranium Extact, Tea Tree Oil, Ethoxydiglycol Methylparaben, Ethylparaben, Glycerin, Fragrance (Parfum)
And I did find a worthy sulfur alternative that is safe-Eminence Hungarian Herbal Mud Treatment
PIN IT!
Hiya Jenni! Always a treat to hear something new from you! Couple questions if you please? I have the Rose Kaolin Clay. I purchased the Rose bc in its description it said better for dry skin. I wouldn’t think it would make a big difference, but just curious to your opinion. My 2ndQ? is, as I live in Florida & Aloe is just outside for the picking, do you know how the natural gel-like substance from the thick leaves compares to Aloe gel that I have purchased? Working with it, I found it doesn’t mix up as easy as the gel I bought. Is there a process needed prior to using in these recipes? I ask bc one of my 1st DIY recipes called for Aloe gel & I used the gel from the plant & the recipe was a disaster. Any ideas or suggestions…??
Jenni, I know one can buy sulfer powder in garden centers..use to put out to keep snakes from yard…Wonder if that could work??
Julia-I don’t know-but I do know that it’s dangerous when used in too large quantities. Proactiv uses a 6% formulation in the mask. In my opinion it’s probably too risky. Plus, you never know what the molecular structure is of many things and whether they will actually penetrate the skin.
I love this mask! My skin was glowing and super soft afterwards! I will be using this on a regular basis, for sure!
I see I wrote before about this mask but never made it. I want to. I had used the French clay in the Oatmeal mask many moons ago. I still have lots left too. This looks interesting with the Vit C.. But, there is a problem with the French red clay. It stains EVERYTHING, including my skin. I have to scrub my face clean. What we do for beauty…..;-)
I only tend to use some carrier oils on my face, I used to put lavender and tea tree oil on my face but I now avoid all essential oils on advice from an aesthetician. I wonder, will eucalyptus powder be an acceptable alternative?
D.C. Hi! I’m a huge essential oil advocate for the skin so I don’t agree with your aesthetician. I have never heard of eucalyptus powder but I can’t imagine that it would be an effective alternative because a powder form would be so highly processed that all the wonderful properties of the oil would be dead.
how long does it usually last if i put it in a jar container?
Ann-This would last about a week. Maybe two if you kept it in the fridge.
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Jennie thank u so much for this recipe. I really want to try it but I don’t have ascorbic acid. Is there anything else I can use or a way to leave it out. Thank u so much
Charity-You could just skip it. It’s still a great mask without it! Thank you!!!
Hi Jenni,
I just love your site! I am learning to do natural/organic DIY skin care, and love exploring your recipes, as I know you have much expertise and knowledge about the DIY skin care from being an esthetician. You are so thorough and helpful in explaining why you use the ingredients you do, and I appreciate knowing why you choose to source from particular companies. I love your presentation, with all of the beautiful photos and the fun fonts. Very artistic and aesthetically pleasing! I know you have been revamping your site, and have a suggestion: Sometimes I want to get your input on something, e.g., tamanu oil, like, what your knowledge about that particular ingredient is. You have your list of DIY recipes above, but it would be nice to be able to look up those ingredients that you do have posts on them (just being about that ingredient) and link directly from a menu above, then maybe the recipes you have for that ingredient? I remembered you had a post on tamanu oil, a link from a recipe, but was hoping to find it more easily. You may have posts on other ingredients that are not necessarily in the title for that recipe, I don’t know… many blessings, girl, and you are doing great work! PS, your recipes and posts make me want to try everything…
Elizabeth! Hi! Thank you so much! And i LOVE suggestions. I will take your into consideration! I like your idea. For now, you can use my search bar at the top of my blog to search any subject and corresponding posts will pop up. Thanks again!
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Thank you for the recipes. I love diy. Can i add preservatives to keep the mask’s shelf life longer?
Adeola-Hi! I would not suggest making this mask in bulk-It is much better when you make it fresh each time. Plus, the vitamin C is unstable and won’t be effective. Thanks!!
Can I make this in larger quantities in store for future use? And I’m saying maybe just enough for maybe four or five applications. Thank you.
Ann-Unfortunately you can’t because it will go bad and not be fresh enough to be effective. If you only combine the dry ingredients and add the wet when you’re ready for an application you could make enough for 5+ uses without worrying about freshness.
Hi, love your site just found you. The mask I love with vit c and aloe Vera gel. And kaolin clay. But I’d like to make a batch of say 6 masks to store and activate when using p, ie a dry blend. So my question is could I add aloe Vera powder instead of it in its gel form so to have a longer shelf life and have a batch of it stored ? Would that work? And how much should I add? Thank you
Christine-I’ve never worked with Aloe Vera powder. My thought is that it wouldn’t be near as beneficial. However, powdered milks add great benefits to recipes like these so maybe an aloe powder would be worth it. It’s worth a try! Since I’ve not used the powder, I don’t know how much you should add. I’m sure it is gentle and you really couldn’t go wrong though.
Can I use red rose clay instead of kaolin clay? Where do I even get that at?
Cheyenne-You can! I have found rose clay on Amazon!
I’m wondering about MSM powder to add in the sulfur?
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/msm-supplements#TOC_TITLE_HDR_8