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Rhassoul Clay: Benefits For Hair & Skin + 5 Ways To Use It In Your Beauty Routine

Jamie Schneider
Author:
January 22, 2021
Jamie Schneider
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
By Jamie Schneider
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
Jamie Schneider is the Senior Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
January 22, 2021
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Clays have landed a starring role in beauty routines for thousands of years—not only do they banish blackheads and lift oil and gunk from pores, but they also come loaded with skin-healthy minerals. But depending on where it's sourced, the ancient soil may offer slightly skewed benefits: The region, particle size, and composition matter when choosing your mineral mud, so it's important to know your clay's full prehistoric bio. 

Here, we investigate everything you need to know about one of the greats, rhassoul clay—where it comes from, who it's good for, and how it measures up to other age-old clays. 

What is rhassoul clay?

Rhassoul clay is part of the smectite family of clays (along with bentonite), which means it has an ability to expand when exposed to a liquid. Also called ghassoul clay, red clay, and red Moroccan clay (it boasts a reddish-brown hue), it's formed from volcanic ash at the Atlas mountain range in Morocco. 

"The name is derived from the Arabic word for washing, rassali," adds board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founder of SKINFIVE, as it was primarily used as a cleansing soap in a number of cultures. Not to mention, the clay is chock-full of different minerals; in fact, "Rhassoul has the largest variety of minerals in the clay family," notes Shamban (think silica, potassium, calcium, iron, and magnesium). 

Benefits for hair & skin.

While there isn't much clinical data behind rhassoul clay's benefits, per se, its anecdotal evidence abounds—after all, there's a reason it's remained a beauty hero for centuries. Specifically, many sing the praises of the clay's exfoliating, clarifying properties: "It can help cleanse the skin by removing excess oil and dead skin cells as well as leave skin softer and smoother," says cosmetic chemist Ron Robinson, founder of BeautyStat.

So just as slathering on a charcoal mask can lift impurities from the skin, rhassoul clay follows a similar track. However, rhassoul clay has an intricate honeycomb structure, which "allows for greater absorption of oils," Shamban shares. 

And as the clay lifts oil and grime, many claim it also infuses the skin with its healthy minerals. In that case, rhassoul clay can condition and strengthen the skin with its potassium (which has antimicrobial properties1), calcium, and magnesium content (both shown to help support skin barrier repair2). 

How to use it.

"The use of clay as a versatile cleanser for skin, scalp, and hair literally dates back to ancient times," says Shamban. Today, its staple status prevails: Here, a few of the many ways you can use rhassoul clay in your beauty routine:

1.

In clarifying shampoos.

Due to its purifying and cleansing nature, you might find rhassoul clay in a number of clarifying shampoos. It'll help lift buildup, oil, and gunk from your scalp while coating the follicles with hair-healthy minerals—hello, shiny strands. 

2.

As a face mask. 

For a fail-safe clay mask, you can mix rhassoul clay with water—or a hydrosol like rosewater—until it forms a paste, and smear the goop on your skin. (Or, you can always snag a market clay mask formulated with rhassoul clay; peek our recs below.) Once you remove the mask, oil, dirt, and grime should go right with it. 

3.

As a face scrub.

Due to rhassoul clay's powdery texture, you can use it as a DIY face scrub to physically exfoliate your skin as well—it'll buff the skin smooth, and the massage itself can stimulate blood circulation in your face (which can give you that lit-from-within glow). 

The granules are super soft and fine, so you won't have to worry about any jagged edges cutting into your skin. Add an oil to the concoction (olive, jojoba, almond, grapeseed, and so on) and scrub gently in circular motions for about a minute before rinsing with lukewarm water. 

4.

As a scalp treatment. 

If you sport an oily scalp or wish to dissolve buildup, rhassoul clay makes an effective mask or scrub. Depending on your powder, you may have to add a different ratio of clay to water (this option recommends mixing 1 tablespoon of clay with ¼ cup of water to create a thin mixture). Massage it into your scalp and wash out thoroughly after a couple of minutes. 

5.

In a shampoo or soap bar.

Rhassoul clay was mainly used for cleansing in ancient times (both for the face, body, and hair), and it makes quite a lovely soap bar. Just add a few tablespoons of the powder to your soap base, then let it set and cool until the bar is completely firm (see here for the full recipe breakdown). After 24 hours, you'll have a clarifying, yet conditioning, soap to use however you like—either in the shower as a body soap, a shampoo bar if you're prone to buildup, or at the sink if your hands need a good cleanse. 

Rhassoul clay vs. bentonite clay vs. kaolin clay.

It's a common question: What's the difference between rhassoul clay and the other popular clays out there—namely, bentonite and kaolin clays? Well, many of the distinctions have to do with the source and makeup of the clay itself: "Most of the differences between the various clays depends on the location it's derived from, composition, and particle size," says Robinson. "This variation can affect the color and mineral content." (Read: Since Rhassoul clay comes from Morocco, it has a slightly different mineral content and trace elements than bentonite and kaolin, which stem from France and China, respectively.) 

And while all three options can effectively draw oil and impurities from the skin and scalp, they do so with varying degrees of absorption. Bentonite clay is the most absorbent of the trio, making it ideal for oily and acne-prone skin; rhassoul clay, with its honeycomb structure, is a happy middle ground—absorbent, but not too stripping (those with drier skin may find that bentonite clay draws too much moisture). Kaolin clay has the least absorption, Shamban notes, as the structure is fenestrated; that's why kaolin clay "is one of the mildest options" to slather on skin, says board-certified dermatologist Lauren E. Adams, M.D., about clay masks. 

Our recommendations.

Shea Moisture Beauty Hack Moroccan Rhassoul Clay

$ 8.49
Shea Moisture Beauty Hack Moroccan Rhassoul Clay

Christophe Robin Volume Shampoo Paste with Rassoul Clay and Rose Extracts

$ 19
Christophe Robin Volume Shampoo Paste with Rassoul Clay and Rose Extracts

Brooklyn Made Natural Clay Face Mask

$ 16
Brooklyn Made Natural Clay Face Mask

The takeaway. 

Rhassoul clay not only draws dirt and oil from your pores, but it's also rich in minerals to give your skin and hair a healthy, bright glow. Simply grab a pure powder (or one of the formulated products above) and you have a hero ingredient for a variety of beauty perks.

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