Pink clay benefits

Pink clay’s popularity has gone stratospheric in the past few years. Perhaps it’s because most pink face masks have the same bright tone as Millennial Pink – the official colour of the Instagram generation.

Another cause of pink clay’s sudden stardom is increased awareness of A-Beauty; aka Australian beauty, which draws on Australia’s rich biodiversity to produce natural beauty treatments. One of the most popular A-Beauty exports of the previous years is Australian pink clay.

What is pink clay?

Pink clay is a combination of red and white clays, usually of the Kaolin variety. Kaolin clays were first discovered in China’s Gaoling valley – ‘kaolin’ is a derivative of the Mandarin ‘Gaoling’, which means ‘high ridge’¹ – but they’re found all across the world. Kaolin clay is a natural emollient, which can be topically applied to soften skin²

There is one variety of pink Bentonite clay which only occurs in France. Beauty products will typically state that they include pink Bentonite clay from France as its prised for being naturally occurring and mineral rich.

Pink clay is known for its strong mineral content, as it contains magnesium, selenium, and zinc.

Pink Clay skin benefits

Pink clay is associated with a wide variety of benefits for skin. Although pink clay benefits are poorly represented in scientific literature, beauty lovers self-report that pink clay has a wide variety enhances the appearance of their skin.
Skin improvements associated with pink clay use include:

• Brighter skin; the lightly exfoliating effect of pink clay works to remove dead skin cells and reveal bright, fresh cells underneath
• Remove excess oil; clay face masks are praised for their natural, mattifying effect.
• Moisturise; pink clay contains essential minerals which work to naturally enrich skin, for a hydrating effect.

How to use pink clay

Pink clay is a versatile ingredient which can be used in a wide variety of beauty products.

Pink clay face mask

You’ll most often find pink clay included in face masks. Pink clay face masks are either sold as pre-formulated creams or powders.

If your face mask is a powder, combine it with a half teaspoon of water to make a paste before applying to your face.

Always apply your face mask to a clean face that’s slightly damp. Rinse your mask off as soon as it feels dry, as you don’t want it strip your skin of oils which give you that healthy, glowing look.

Pink clay cleanser

Pink clay cleansers are popular in Asian and Australian skincare. While relatively unheard of here, they’re increasing in popularity with the renewed interest in skincare made entirely from natural ingredients.

The pink clay works in conjunction with other natural ingredients, to add an additional cleansing element which helps to remove dead skin cells and brighten skin.

Pink clay body soap

Pink clay is typically combined with other powerfully cleansing ingredients, like charcoal, to exfoliate as it cleanses the body. Often cleansers are combined with natural emollients, like cocoa or shea butter, that help to smooth the skin concurrent to moisturizing.

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Last Updated: 8th December 2020

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