homemade bentonite clay face masks acne

Ridiculously Simple Homemade Acne Mask

I discovered Aztec Healing Clay during my own quest for better skin. When used about once a week, it can improve skin tone and reduce facial oil, blackheads, and pimples. Best of all, it is all natural, ridiculously simple to make, and incredibly inexpensive. In this article, I’m digging into the many benefits of bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar, and, of course, I’ll be offering a how-to guide to lead you to sweet clay-mask glory.

The first thing my dermatologist recommended was use of an acidic clay mask. He sold his own variety at his office for a comparatively low fee (for a dermatologist’s product), but I knew that, given my financial situation and distance from his office, I would want to find an alternative. I looked at the ingredients on the back of the jar I purchased from his office and saw clay, water, and vinegar were the first three ingredients. Seems simple enough, right?

After a quick Google search, I learned that the clay in question was likely bentonite clay. Bentonite clay is a subset of green clay. Green clay is also the big mama to French green clay, aka montmorillonite, and non-swelling green clay, aka illite. These clays are known for their healing and restorative properties.

From the jar of clay, I also saw that vinegar was a main component in the mask. Apple cider vinegar is widely used for skin care because of its concentration of malic and lactic acids.

Malic acid, which comes from apples, is a subset of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs). It is good for:

Anti aging
Evening out skin tone
Reducing the appearance of pores
Treating melasma and rosacea
Lactic acid is also a member of the AHA family. It is commonly found in sour or fermented milk but is also found in apple cider vinegar. Lactic acid is good for:

Hydrating the skin
Stimulating collagen
Preventing sun damage
Exfoliating
Treating acne-prone, oily, and problem skin through its antibacterial and astringent properties
I use an organic raw (unfiltered) apple cider vinegar from Trader Joe’s. If you don’t have a Trader Joe’s nearby, check out Whole Foods or a similar organic market. You can also find it online.

Wrinkles and Acne. Both. Ugh.

These two very simple ingredients, bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar, are very effective for skin care. They are great for cleaning out pores, exfoliating skin, restoring the pH balance of your face, calming inflammation, reducing oil, and neutralizing bacteria—all factors that can contribute to blemishes. While fighting acne in this manner, green clay and apple cider vinegar can also work to prevent or reduce fine lines and wrinkles. This is good news for those that are in what I call “The Super Awesome Crossover Age Group,” i.e., those who are young enough to have pimples, but old enough to be concerned about aging skin.