How to Use Rhassoul Clay For Beauty and Detox

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How to Use Rhassoul Clay for Beatuy and Detox
Wellness Mama » Blog » Beauty » How to Use Rhassoul Clay For Beauty and Detox

I love and use various healing clays, and one that I am especially enjoying right now is Rhassoul Clay. This natural clay from Morocco is incredible for skin and hair and is inexpensive.

What is Rhassoul Clay?

Rhassoul Clay is a high-quality soothing clay for external use that stores indefinitely if kept dry. It is sourced from the Atlas Mountains in Morocco and is often used in spas for skin and hair. It is also called Ghassoul Clay, Red Clay, and Red Moroccan Clay, and it can only be found under this specific mountain range in Morocco. It is formed by a natural combination of volcanic activity and geothermal changes.

This untreated and naturally dried clay has a silk-like feel and can help even out skin tone and reduce blemishes. It has the unique ability to both nourish skin and reduce breakouts and many people use it daily as a natural soap and shampoo. In fact, clinical studies and testing on Rhassoul found that it can increase skin elasticity, even skin tone, reduce blemishes and blackheads, and reduce skin dryness or flakiness.

Like Bentonite Clay, it has the ability to swell when added to water, but Rhassoul has an even higher silica and magnesium content, making it especially good for skin. In fact, this clay can be used daily instead of soap for a gentle way to cleanse that won’t strip skin of beneficial oils.

Rhassoul clay boasts a high negative charge and it can help draw out blackheads and other impurities from skin. This also makes it beneficial as a make-up remover or all-purpose face wash.

Uses for Rhassoul Clay

In general, Rhassoul can be used like any other healing clay. Some of the ways I’ve personally tried it are:

  • Face Mask: The simplest use for Rhassoul clay is as a face mask. It can be mixed with water or something like rose water to form a silky paste. This paste can be brushed or rubbed onto the face and left to dry before washing off.
  • Face Scrub: Rhassoul can also be combined with other ingredients to make an exfoliating and smoothing scrub. My favorite is mixing 1 Tablespoon Rhassoul clay with 1 Tablespoon ground oatmeal and apple cider vinegar to form a paste. I use about once a week for an exfoliating face scrub. As a bonus, it can be massaged into the face to exfoliate for 1-2 minutes and then left for another 5 minutes to dry before washing off. This will offer the benefits of a mask and an exfoliation in one step.
  • Hair Mask: I mixed 1 tablespoon Rhassoul clay into 1/4 cup of water to make a thin mixture that I pour onto my hair and massage in. For hair, it is important not to let the mixture dry as it can contribute to hair breakage if it hardens. I prefer to massage into hair in the shower and leave for about 30 seconds before washing.
  • Full Body Mask: For great skin all-over, I’ve made a simple paste of clay and water and used as a full body mask before taking a bath and washing it off.
  • Homemade Soap: Great for blackheads and drawing impurities from the skin, it will make a lovely beige colored soap.

Rhassoul clay can also be used in place of other clays in these recipes: Hair Detox, Mud Mask, Detox Foot Soak, and armpit detox.

Rhassoul vs. Other Clays

Rhassoul is similar to many other soothing clays and often they can be used interchangeably:

  • Price: Many clays are inexpensive when ordered in bulk and most range from $6 to $11 a pound. Rhassoul comes in near the top at $10 a pound but so little is needed, it lasts for a very long time. One pound lasted me well over a year with pretty regular use.
  • Internal Use: Unlike some healing clays, Rhassoul should not be used internally, but it is excellent for external use. In some places, it is used internally because of its high mineral content, but it is important to check with a doctor before using it in this way.
  • Presence of Lead: Unlike Bentonite Clay, Rhassoul clay is not known to contain any lead (though as I explained before, I do not consider the lead in Bentonite a concern). For this reason, Rhassoul can be substituted in recipes like hair and face masks in place of Bentonite.
  • Adsorbing Power: This is what makes clays so beneficial for cleansing. Adsorption (with a D) refers to the process by which clays like Rhassoul attract positively charged particles (cations) to remove them. When the clay is washed off, the impurities go with it, leaving smooth skin.
  • Minerals: Rhassoul clay is higher in minerals than many types of clay, especially silica, magnesium and potassium, making it especially good for hair, skin and nails.

Where to Get Rhassoul Clay

I prefer to order clays (and other beauty ingredients) in bulk to save money when possible. At the time of writing this, the best prices I have found on high quality Rhassoul Clay are:

Have you ever used Rhassoul Clay? How did you use it?

Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

35 responses to “How to Use Rhassoul Clay For Beauty and Detox”

  1. karen spitzer Avatar
    karen spitzer

    This clay sounds great…my only concern is whether the clay going into my plumbing drains
    is going to harden and give me problems?

  2. Oana Avatar

    Hi, i have used R clay to was my hair in the past, along with ACV rinse afterwards, but my hair seemed to lack shine. My salp is prone to dandruff, so i am using a sls free dandruff shampoo but I was wondering if anyone has tried mixing R clay with powdered aspirin and what the results were. Thank you

  3. Jarmila Avatar
    Jarmila

    I use Morrocan clay for my DIY mud mask. I mix it with rose water and vit E. It’s the best product to clean pores and sebaceous filaments. Thank you for the post. I really didn’t know anything about this clay. My friend ordered it for me few months ago and I only started to use it recently and I am in love.

  4. mouad Avatar

    hello 🙂
    i hope this comment finds you at peace
    i’m willing to make a presentation about rhassoul clay, and i was wondering if it’s okey to include parts of this article in it ?
    thank you

  5. Amber Avatar

    Has anyone used this internally??
    I just drank a whole glass of water with 1 tsp of clay powder and meant to use bentonite!

    1. Ishbah Malik Avatar
      Ishbah Malik

      I purposely eat\are it about a tsp to a tbsp a day. I craved it during pregnancy. A model can friend told me lots of women eat it in her country. A lot of people say not to eat it but never explain why… So I eat it anyway…

  6. Laura Avatar

    I LOVE this clay but am having a hard time with my very thick, long hair after using it as a hair treatment. My hair is so full and tangly after rinsing (even with diluted apple cider vinegar) that I snapped my hair brush in two trying to calm it down. Any recommendations on how to get more softness/silkiness with this added volume?

  7. Kate Avatar

    It is a coincidence that i made toothpaste with calcium carbonate, clay, water, and peppermint but ran out of facial soap…so i used the toothpaste to clean my face after using oil to remove makeup and it makes my skin soft, lighter, tightened which feels good, and it also removes the excess oil. I think this is healthier than soap. I used the Vogel white clay which is gentle for skin. I do not know how it compares to rhassoul or bentonite.

  8. Katherine Rose Avatar
    Katherine Rose

    Hello! I found your post because I was looking to hear about other people’s experience using it as a hair mask. I read over at humblebeeandme that clay hair masks can add volume to the hair. My hair is fine and very soft and the mask definitely gave my hair some nice volume! I also skipped shampooing my hair that day and just rinsed the clay out. My hair starts to feel oily even just after one day of no washing. The clay took away the oily feeling and I’m thinking about using it about once a week now and skipping the shampoo on the those days. It’s been 2 days since the mask, and my hair still has some added volume. I’m impressed!

    1. Lola Avatar

      For those using R-clay, have you been using an ACV rinse afterwards? I’ve been doing R-clay washes for about 3 months now but I am constantly combing out lint and dust…it seems like the clay never really rinses out. I feel like it’s staying on my scalp and bit and grabbing any dust/lint.

      I was no-poo before this and was using liquid soapnut shampoo, but it was really making my scalp feel ‘stripped.’ Has anyone had success with a good conditioning rinse after the R-clay? I love the way this clay feels on my face and the way it feels in my hair when it’s still wet, but it seems like it’s just not getting a thorough clean.

      I’ve also heard mixed messages about the time to leave the clay in. Some say 30 seconds and some say 5 minutes. Help! I have gone from BS/ACV to soapnuts to DWV rinses and now to R-clay washes. Just want to finally settle on an option for no-poo. My hair is shoulder length and VERY thick. It seems like my only success so far is henna dying every 8 weeks, which makes my hair SUPER soft.

      1. Kate Avatar

        I was encountering the same problem of the clay building up on my hair even though it adds volume but makes hair tangly, so i switched back to a saponified palm-coconut oil shampoo along with doing an avocado pulp conditioning treatment every two weeks, which restores bounce, moisture, and shine to my hair. I like the carina shampoo, it has simple ingredients. Any overripe or browned avocadoes i have are frozen in portions to be used for beauty purposes. I have not been lucky finding a no-poo method that works for me.

      2. umaa Avatar

        did you put some oil in your scalp before washing with R clay?
        I think that R- clay is sometimes is too strong for scalp.
        put some oil ( olive oil, avocado oil) depending of hair length I would say medium length hair usually need about less than 3 or 4 tablespoon oil. and massage from hair top til bottom and wait for 1 hour and wash it with R- clay

  9. Beth Avatar

    I’m trying to perfect a diy deodorant made of EOs and coconut oil. Do you think I could add this in? I’m probably going to try it.

    1. Lacy Avatar

      My best homemade deodorant contained bentonite, so I’m sure rhassoul would work also. Careful with the color, though, might leave marks on light clothing.

  10. Kathy Avatar

    Is there a difference between rassoul clay and red clay. I am getting my supplies together to make the mask and some of you body lotion and butters.
    I am so glad I found your sight I have passed it on to many of my friends

  11. Sarah Hushbeck Avatar
    Sarah Hushbeck

    I’m working on assembling ingredients to try making some liquid foundation makeup using your recipe, and I’m wondering if rhassoul clay could be used in place of the mica and cocoa powder. In my reading on the clay, I’ve not seen anything about its usage for something like this, but it seems that its reddish brown color would lend itself well to achieving a good color in makeup. Do you think rhassoul would work for this?

    Thank you for all of the wisdom and experience you share with us. I love your site!

  12. Belialith Avatar
    Belialith

    I’m so glad I came across this post. I had bought a big 1 kg jar of this Rhassoul Clay from New Directions Aromatics (online), a few months ago, and just forgot to use it. This post inspired me to pull it out of the cabinet and make a niiiice facemask with some Rosehips powder (from same place) and some Camu Camu powder from Swanson (certified Organic, online also). I think I’ll put a touch of honey in with it all. Great Post. Thanks!

  13. Amy Avatar

    I started the Oil Cleansing Method you previously posted about and have been doing that daily. I am trying to find relief for my blackheads and acne. If this is helpful I want to give it a try but wasn’t sure how to mix it into my routine. If I did a face mask, how often per week would you recommend using it?

    1. Tara Z Avatar

      for blemishes I highly recommend washing your face daily with raw organic honey, as is recommended elsewhere on this same site

    2. Hena Avatar

      If you use Rhassoul mud every day, then just mix with water and leave in for a minute before rising out for dry and sensitive skin, or rub it in gently for 15 secs and then rinse off.
      If You use R-mud every few days you can use it as a mask and leave on until dried and then wet and rinse off. Can get a little messy once once, as you need to splash your face with water for the mud to dislodge and then gently wipe off or keep rinsing until it completely washes off.
      If using Calc Bentonite, use the same strategy as above except for the rubbing part if you have left it in for the longer duration.
      For acne or severe acne, use the Calc Bentonite as a mask every few days and believe me, inside around 7-10 days you will start a very marked difference, especially with the open pores and scarring. The spots/pustules will just stop. Calc Ben destroys bacteria completely so is wonderful for this.
      I am a mud whore to be honest, and use both the Calc Ben and R-mud indiscriminately. The CB has also helped with the odd brown spots on my hands and face, as I have none on my hands and arms and I am 54. I don’t use any commercial creams or lotions, whether moisturiser or cleansers. My only cleanser is mud and moisturiser a very light smattering of coconut oil warmed in my palms. A small pea sized drop and mixed with filtered, alkaline or spring water in my palm and patted on where I need moisturiser. It works beautifully and keep my skin supple. Coconut oil will not clog your skin either but use it very ultra sparingly. Don’t use it you have open acne spots or pustules. Let them dry up and heal before you use this oil. I will say that we are all different, so try something and see if it works for your skin.
      Hope this helps, as I know from past experience how horrible it is to have acne or even acne scarring that won’t go away no matter what.

      1. Cynthia Avatar

        Thanks for all your insight Hena! Thanks to all these articles by Katie and responses like yours it gives me hope that I can clear my acne. I’ve gone gluten free to help with the acne and it seems to be working, but I still get blackheads on my skin and definitely want to get rid of the acne scars. I hope this works…

  14. Hena Avatar

    @AnnMarie – you can do that too. I use that too, and also as a mask, especially good for skin rejuvenation. When I get even a small spot, it leaves a small brown scar, to I tend to use this one as a mask – 2 apps and the whole scar is gone. I have used this as a scrub too. I used cucumber juice with it to make a paste as cuce juice is an astringent, but is really gentle on the skin. So, make a paste, put it on my face and neck, and 2-3 mins later just gently rub it in and rinse it off. Believe me, it removes all sorts of impurities. I got a friend to use it on her decolletage as she really loves the sun and used to have crepey skin. You can try this. Just two mins on and then gently rub it in and rinse off, for a gentle exfoliation. I love clays and use them with cling film or food grade plastic film on the inside of my thighs for inch loss and also the arms, as I am really lazy and hate exercise. It works with either Rhassoul or Bentonite clays. I especially love the fullers earth which is calcium bentonite. Two years ago persuaded my sis to take a foot bath with fuller’s earth, (I live in the UK and it is widely known here as fuller’s earth), and she now swears by it. She says it deodorises her feet and keeps them callous and flake free. I like the idea of using it on the underarms, so thanks for that in the article. 😀

  15. AnnMarie Avatar
    AnnMarie

    I was wondering if you could make the facial scrub with Bentonite clay instead? It’s the only clay I have right now and have been looking for a good homemade facial scrub.

  16. Hena Avatar

    I use this all the time instead of body wash. I fine it really good for exfoliation of body skin really quickly with no scrubbing necessary. Love it in hair too, as my hair gets greasy quickly and I also suffer from little spots on my scalp and this keeps them at bay. Really really wonderful stuff. I buy it in hessian bags of 1kg or 500g and they look like mini rocks. Reddish in colour and really wonderful. I would not hesitate to recommend this to anyone and everyone. My friend has oedema so very little circulation her legs and her leg skin gets dry and scaly as well as her feet and heels getting really dry. I got her to use this the first time and she swears by it now. Mixed with water to a paste consistency and brushed onto legs and heels it removes the flaky dry skin and my friend swears it also revs up her circulation, which is great. So economical as well.

      1. Hena Avatar

        Absolutely. Just add enough water to make a paste. You can then cover your body in it, and five mins later just start rubbing it in and before you know it, your skin is beautifully exfoliated and you don’t really need any soap. You can test it and see how much you need. I tend to keep a bottle in the fridge as I tend to suffer from swollen ankles due to my job where I sit most of the day on the phone, so when my skin gets dry as well I just later my legs and feet in this paste and stick my legs in carrier bags. They do the trick and are quicker than using plastic or cling film. After around 15 mins with the legs just rub the clay in or spray with water and then just rub and you find all that dry skin completely gone. Sometimes I will use calcium bentonite and they both work well but this is really good for the body as a wash or exfoliator. It really is so versatile, you can’t go wrong. Just don’t ingest it whatever you do. Good luck if you decide to try the above method.

        1. Ashley Avatar

          I’ve never heard of carrier bags. How interesting! I’ll definitely give this a try. Thanks!

          1. Hena Avatar

            Much quicker than body film or cling film and less messy too. 🙂

          2. Ella Avatar

            Carrier bag is a bag used for shopping made out of plastic,

    1. Clara Harris Avatar
      Clara Harris

      Hena: you said you “brushed” it on….what did you use? I am envisioning a paint brush but not sure.

      1. Hena Avatar

        Clara, my first foray into this had me unprepared as to how to apply it, so I used a pastry brush (sounds crazy but it worked for the face as the bristles are gentle) and then bought myself a lovely soft paint brush about 4″ wide. I use the big brush for the neck area and it works a treat. See what suits you. A spare pastry brush can work wonders too.

        Bodywise I tend to use take a palmful and slather it on if I am in a hurry in the shower, but that is quite wasteful so I try to make the time to paint it with the brush on my body.

        Oh another thing I have found out recently which really surprised me, and that is that I decided to try Calcium Bentonite on my breasts, and covered them with a generous amount of CB paste (mixed with just water), and used cling film in a criss-cross bandaging style from shoulder to underarm on both sides and left it on for an hour. I did cover myself with a light blanket to keep warm. Not only were my puppies perkier, but the skin felt so smooth and clear. I am going to use this regularly for the puppies now, as who does not love perky puppies? Just thought I would add this bit in case anyone wants to try it, as it is a natural form of tightening the skin.

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