- INCI Name:Moroccan Lava Clay
- Labeling Claims:Credo Clean Standard, Clean at Sephora, Ulta Beauty's Conscious Beauty
Rhassoul clay, found only deep beneath the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, has been used for over 1,400 years as a natural beauty treatment for skin. To first look at this reddish brown cosmetic clay you would not think it was anything spectacular, but looks can be deceiving. This clay is a smectic (or swelling) clay, which means that it’s extremely absorbent – much more so than other other cosmetic clays. In fact, it’s made up of three layers with a water layer sandwiched in between. This clay has a unique ability to absorb tremendous amounts of water, which makes it ideal for cleansing and detoxifying the skin. Further, Rhassoul clay contains higher percentages of silica, magnesium, potassium, calcium and other trace minerals than other clays. These minerals make the clay highly detoxifying as they can actually exchange themselves for toxic compounds like metals in the skin. So the clay not only works to remove impurities from your skin, it also replaces them with nourishing trace minerals. Rhassoul clay can be used as a soap, skin conditioner, shampoo or mask for the face and body. It acts like a soap but leaves a sweet scent behind. After clinical studies have been conducted it was found that after a single use, there was less dryness, less flakiness, improved skin clarity, elasticity and firmness, improved skin texture, less surface oil and smoother skin. In short, Rhassoul clay is a superior compound for removing oil and impurities from the skin and hair. It doesn’t contain any petrochemical derivatives and no synthetic preservatives, no surfactant or artificial colors. The clay’s high level of ions exchange makes it ideal for toning and enriching the skin. Rhassoul clay is brown, chunky soap-like clay. Micronized Rhassoul Clay is well suited for more delicate applications like facial masks.
