Kaolin Clay
Clay skincare products are all the rage right now, and we’re giving you the inside scoop on everything there is to know about one of the hottest clays on the market today: kaolin clay. Kaolin, or kaolinite, is a naturally occurring clay mineral. Rocks that contain high amounts of kaolin are sometimes called China clay. Kaolin clay is generally white in colour, although sometimes it can appear as pink or green due to impurities, such as the presence of iron oxide.
Kaolin is extremely versatile, and has been used as an ingredient in everything from pottery to paper for centuries. However, when ground into a fine powder, it’s also a killer beauty product that has amazing results for your skin. Continue reading to discover all there is to know about this superstar clay.
Overview
At Dope Skin Co., we are all about natural ingredients. That is why we can’t get enough of kaolin clay! Before we delve into its amazing skin benefits, it’s time for a little history lesson.
Kaolin clay can be found all over the world, however, it earned its “China clay” nickname owing to the fact that it was first discovered and sent abroad to Europe on Kao-ling Gāolǐng mountain in the Jiangxi province of China. For those that don’t know their clay minerals (we won’t hold it against you), kaolinite clays have a much softer, lighter, and fluffier structure than ilite or bentonite clays. This makes them especially suitable to the beauty industry and to people with
sensitive skin (more on that below). Typically, kaolin is ground into a powder and then added to skincare products, such as essential oils, peels, facial cleansers, scrubs, masks, or serums.
When combined with water, the ingredient forms a paste, which makes it a terrific cleanser and detoxifying treatment.
Benefits
Kaolin clay is a superstar when it comes to your skin. It acts an anti inflammatory, absorbs oil, and even cleanses and exfoliates the skin - what’s not to love? And it does all this in a gentle way that won’t irritate someone with even the most sensitive of skin types. First, kaolin clay is highly absorbent, which makes it well suited to people with oily skin as it helps to remove some of this excess oil. Second, it (very) gently cleanses and exfoliates the skin, helping to rid your
pores of dirt, grime, and pollution. In turn, this serves to smooth one’s skin tone and improve elasticity. Finally, kaolin clay has natural anti-inflammatory properties that work to reduce redness, irritation, or skin inflammation caused by acne or other skin conditions, such as rosacea or psoriasis. Overall, these characteristics make kaolin clay a great treatment for people who suffer from acne, as it clears off sebum (the name for the oil your body naturally produces), cleans out pores, and calms skin all at once.
Safety
Not to worry - kaolin clay is totally safe to use as a skincare ingredient. However, dermatologists do warn that all clays have the ability to dry out your skin, so be sure not to use products containing the ingredient too frequently, especially if you have sensitive skin.
