As far as hair clays are concerned, our girl Bentonite has really been holding us down for the last few years. But have you heard of its a gentler alternative, Kaolin clay?
Different from the chemical makeup of bentonite, Kaolin is formed from the weathering of aluminum silicate minerals, like feldspar rocks, and is often used to make Chinese ceramics.
So, I know what you’re thinking: how does this clay benefit my hair if it’s popular for various non-cosmetic uses?
Well, the thing about Kaolin is that it’s a super diverse mineral, meaning it has a number of different cosmetic uses as well.
Toothpaste, face masks, deodorant—all of them can be made with kaolin.
And so a good, deep cleansing hair mask or wash is really no different. So should you give this super diverse mineral a try? Let’s look at the benefits and you can decide for yourself.
What are the benefits?
Kaolin is an effective scalp cleanser because it removes dead skin cells, excess oil natural oils like sebum, and product buildup on your hair and scalp.
For this reason, it’s often used in dry shampoo and no-rinse cleansing treatments that promise clean, healthy hair.
When you add water, Kaolin turns into a paste—a clay, if you will. And similar to bentonite clay, applying this paste to your hair and scalp also acts as a purifier and detoxifier.
This means that it will not only protect your hair from harmful environmental factors like low humidity, pollution, and sun damage, but it’ll also help soothe your scalp if you struggle with scalp issues like dermatitis, eczema, or just common dry scalp.
Additionally, the clay is a good vehicle for the other ingredients that are beneficial. Oils, extracts, and even other clays can be added to kaolin hair masks to rev up the benefits.
So, how do you use the clay?
Using this fine, Chinese powder as clay is actually quite easy.
You can mix it with your choice of liquids, oils, and extracts and any combination will do you a world of good.
Liquids you can mix with Kaolin:
- Water
- Aloe Vera Juice
- Apple Cider Vinegar
- Coconut Water
Oils to mix with the paste:
- Jojoba
- Sweet Almond
- Carrot Oil
- Coconut Oil
- Olive Oil
Extracts to mix with the paste:
- Green Tea Extract
- Burdock Root Extract
- Ginseng Root Extract
- Lemon Balm Extract
- Ginkgo Biloba Extract
The final verdict on kaolin clay: use it, don’t use it—it’s all up to you.
However, you’d be missing out on something truly magical if you decide to skip it.
Shampoo alternative?
Hair damage treatment?
Promotes hair growth?
Sounds good to me.
