Commercial clay masks contain Kaolin, better known as that chalk you used to use in school to write things on the blackboard. Kaolin is a powder that turns creamy when mixed with water.

So if you see in the list of ingredients Kaolin - remember it is not a face mask, it is a building material. It won't do much for your skin, might make it dry and if you use it often it might even make your skin super dry. 

"Why would commercial brands add Kaolin to a face mask? The answer is - it is cheap. Kaolin costs almost nothing and is easy to source. And technically you can call it a face clay mask as it is a clay and a mineral."

What about Handmade Natural Clay Face Masks?

Most of the face masks I see made by craftspeople are actual powder clay with mixed flowers or essential oils that comes in a jar and before using it you have to mix it with water, but it is not that simple!

If you try and mix French Green Clay (INCI: Montmorillonite, not Kaolin) it won't mix straight away, you have to whisk it, I would say more difficult than mixing milk and flour for pancakes. The texture gets very lumpy and you have to vigorously whisk or leaving mask for 30 mins at least. 

And if you decide to make detox mask using Bentonite clay - I wish you the best of luck!

When I make Anti Acne Face Mask from Bentonite clay (INCI: Sodium Bentonite) I soak the clay in hydrosol for at least 30 mins as this type of clay is very dense and swollen when mixed with water. I use a stick blender to turn it into a spreadable face mask so you can actually apply it on the face. You don't want to mix it too much with water as the dragging effect will decrease.

"Important thing - mixing any type of mineral clays with standard tap water is not a good idea, as it wont give you much and the chlorine in water mixed with naturally active mineral clay will make it too harsh for skin especially if you leaving mask for 5 to 10 minutes. "

Mixing clay with water and turning it into a face mask will give you an expiry date of 3 days.

Yes, after those short three days bacteria will start breeding in your mask.

Personally I use face masks frequently as they do improve skin, like any facial clay masks give instantly clear and healthy skin improving it overtime.

Making mask every 3 days mixing it, whisking it, waiting until it is ready - you have to be living on furlough all your life to be able to do that!

My Perfance Clay Face Masks I prepare with the finest clays from France - French Green Clay, Yellow Clay. Moroccan Lava Clay or Rhassoul, Ghassoul Clay from Morocco, Atlas Mountains, Bentonite Clay from volcanic ashes from USA.

I use hydrosol - Flower Water of Orange flower, Chamomile Flower, Rose Water.

I use modern preservatives to keep the face mask formula stable and safe because I mix it with liquid it is a good environment for bacteria to live. 

I add active botanicals to it in a very small quantities so it doesn't interact with active minerals that natural clay already has.

Last thing is Sustainable packaging - Perfance Clay Face Masks comes in a glass jar of 150ml with aluminium lid. Glass will keep your masks at a stable temperature - slightly colder than the ambient temperature and 150 ml is the right amount for use up until six months to a year.

"If you order a Perfance Face Mask from me I make it on the day of your order so that you receive the freshest mask possible, plus for me it makes business sense for me as I have a huge assortment and it is impossible to predict the sales sometimes, I like to keep my skincare batch fresh and keep quantities of each product very low."

How to find time for Face Masks?

How do I do it with my busy life style - I apply face mask in the morning and do the washing up while keeping the face mask on, I apply mask in the evening while I'm waiting for my partner to take a shower.

"I do not have SPA days at home as often as I would want. But yes, while I'm soaking in the bathtub I will definitely use the opportunity and apply a face mask, take my phone and do some window clothes shopping on uniqlo.com! Small 'me time', by the way I can only say a good things about this clothes brand: very good quality fabrics, very classy and versatile products. Prices of H&M but with more taste and you get more for your money without nasty polyester.

Anyways, remember beautiful skin is not a gift from nature but the lifestyle you have to work on yourself."

What is the difference between Green Clay, Yellow Clay and Red Clays?

The colour of these clays are different due to a mineral content like Iron Dioxes and even a molecular texture a different amount of dioxides gives different colour and molecular structure of a mineral particle reflects differently in the spectrum of the sun giving each mineral a unique colour.

Say, Bentonite Clay reacts with liquid you see a small bubble forming - it turns into a magnet-like dense paste that drags the toxins from the skin. Bentonite clay has a grey colour due to its origin in volcanic ashes.  

Red clay is a very rich colour and I have tested it to make face masks, but it is too pigmented and quite difficult to wash off that pigment that Iron Dioxides create naturally.

French Green Clay is a green colour due to Iron Dioxides and matured plant matter - sea weed and algae give that mild green colour.

French Yellow Clay is Yellow because of Iron Dioxides but no Aluminium.

Moroccan Lava Clay is brown-yellow colour due to high content of silica, magnesium, potassium, and calcium and it's earthy-like origin as it is derived deep underground.

Masks can be a real savour for many skin problems - dryness, acne, pores, red spots, oily skin, lack of firmness, wrinkles..

Using different Face Clay Masks and see how fast they are improving your skin is the right way to improve your skin!