Tags
ACV, aloe vera gel, Aztec Secret, bentonite clay, clarifying, cleansing, coconut milk, conditioning, grapeseed oil, Indian Healing Clay, moisturizing, natural, natural hair, products, wash, wash day
I started this post before I did my most recent big chop. I’ve been lazy and didn’t feel like waiting for the pics to download. I finally got around to doing it tonight, so that’s why this post is late. Last Friday when I washed my hair, I decided to use bentonite clay instead of my new love – my shampoo bar. I’ve been researching and reading about the benefits of bentonite clay for hair and thought I’d give it a try. I made a trip to Whole Foods about two weeks ago and picked some up while I was there. (I won’t get into everything else that I acquired on this trip!) *side eye*
Benefits of bentonite clay for hair:
- Good for cleaning, clarifying, moisturizing, and conditioning hair
- Has been reported to facilitate hair growth and prevent hair loss
- Works well on all hair types – natural, relaxed, damaged, dry, etc.
- Relieves itchy scalp and treats dandruff
- Improves the texture and thickness of natural hair
- Contains calcium, potassium, and sodium which are all needed for healthy hair
The directions for using the clay are pretty simple. Basically you add ACV and/or water to the powder until it’s the consistency of paste. However, I added some oils to my mix to give it a bit more umph, as my hair is in need of extra nourishment. My mixture consisted of:
- 3 tablespoons of clay powder
- ACV
- coconut milk
- aloe vera gel
- grapeseed oil.
I can’t say exactly how much I used. I just added until I had the consistency that I wanted.
Once the mixture was smooth, I applied it to my hair from root to tip, using a downward motion. I’d pre-pooed my hair the night before. Before applying the clay, I wet it but I didn’t rinse the oil out. From my research, I found that some oil in the hair makes it easier to apply the clay. This seemed to be true because the application went seamlessly and was not messy as I expected.
I left the clay on my hair for about an hour or so. I really don’t recall how long because I got caught up in the TV. If it wasn’t for my face tightening up so much as the clay dried, I probably would’ve left it on longer. But from what I understand, it doesn’t need to stay on too long to do it’s job.
After rinsing, which was not difficult at all to do, my hair felt very clean, but not stripped. My curls were defined, my hair had a nice sheen, and was soft to the touch.
I had some leftover, so I applied it to my face since it’s great for skin as well.
There was still a bit left so, I even gave my son a clay facial (although he wasn’t happy about it at all)! I just couldn’t let it go to waste…
Overall, I was pleased with the results of using bentonite clay. I will keep using this as a regular part of my regimen. Being that it continues to agree with my hair, I’m thinking I will use it to clarify my hair, rather than the clarifying shampoo.