20 Benefits And Recipes Of Bentonite Clay Hair Mask For Hair Issues

Throughout history, hair is considered as one of the most significant roles in a person’s appearance. It relates to the beauty and youthfulness in women, as well as the masculinity and virility in men. It can be said that bad hair is a bad day. Therefore, it is truly necessary for everyone to get a fine hair. There are many effective ways to care for the hair, and bentonite clay is well known as one of the most excellent recipes. Today’s article will introduce to you the amazing benefits and recipes of bentonite clay hair mask for hair issues.

There is no science-based evidence for the following homemade recipes. The recipes we've focused on are traditional home remedies, so always consult your doctor and check out your health condition regularly to know if a remedy is working for you.

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Top 20 Benefits And Recipes Of Bentonite Clay Hair Mask For Hair Issues

I. Overview

1. Some Popular Hair Issues

The hair issues can be caused by many reasons, both inside and outside, even the bad habits of everyone, and vary from person to person. No matter what the reason is, the ultimate goal is to get healthy and fine-looking hair. In general, there are ten common hair problems that everyone can catch.

• Dandruff: This problem means there are the scaly particles clinging to the root of the hair. It might be caused by the infection, a poor diet, or a sluggish metabolism^[1].
• Hair loss: It is a common issue for most men. While it can be due to the male pattern balding for men, it is often associated with the stress, changing hormones, medication, and even menopause or the hair styling products.
• Dry hair: It is mainly caused by shampooing too often. This will remove all of the hair’s natural oils, which is the reason that makes the hair dry.
• Split ends: It may be related to over-brushing hair, too much heat, excessive perming, or the lack of a good conditioner.
• Oily hair: For many people, the scalp can produce too much sebum, a kind of natural oil. The sebaceous glands that produce sebum can sometimes work overtime, thus leading to the greasy problem of the hair.
• Frizzy hair: This can occur when the moisture level of the hair falls below the normal levels. In some cases, it might also be hereditary.
• Dull hair: The causes can be the heat-styling or chemical damages, sometimes the environmental soils.
• Heat damaged hair: Some people usually use the flat iron and curling iron too much, which can damage the hair seriously.
• Color damaged hair: If you color your hair, the chemicals that are used for your hair can leave your hair extremely porous and prone to breakage and brittleness.
• Gray hair: Many people do not like gray hair because it is often more brittle and unruly than other strands.

2. What Is Bentonite Clay?

Bentonite clay is well known as an excellent natural clay that gives many benefits for the hair. This clay is directly mined from the earth. Bentonite clay, also known as Aztec Indian Healing clay, is an absorbent aluminum phyllosilicate clay. It is a grey color with a soft and fine consistency. This healing clay contains a high application of minerals such as calcium, silica, magnesium, iron, sodium, and potassium. Moreover, it also removes heavy metals, toxins, chemicals, and impurities. All these are truly necessary for the positive changes of the hair.

It is created from the weathering volcanic ash that is aged through time in the presence of water. The clay that is sold in the stores is a kind of soft white powdery material. The bentonite clay is very safe to make a hair mask, along with most ingredients that can find simply.

3. Facts About Bentonite Clay

• Bentonite clay exists in three different varieties: green calcium bentonite; desert calcium bentonite clay; and deep green sodium bentonite.
• Bentonite clay that is available in the Rose Mountain is known as sodium bentonite.
• Bentonite clay is effective for most kinds of skin, hair.
• This clay provide us with various health benefits such as improving skin, improving digestion, armpit detox, healing burns, improving blood circulation, etc.
• The clay is used as an excellent ingredient for taking a detox bath for skin and hair
• Along with the health benefits, bentonite clay is a good sealer for sealing ponds, ditches, dams, lagoons, and so on.
• Bentonite clay, along with the detoxifying agents, can be useful in the garden to avoid the destruction of wastes and toxins.

4. Benefits Of Bentonite Clay For Hair

There are multiple amazing benefits when applying bentonite clay to the hair. Bentonite clay plays a role as a magnet, which helps to remove toxins and metals built up through time from the environment, shampoos, conditioners, hair sprays, gels, and other hair care products out of the hair thanks to the strong negative electromagnetic charge. Using bentonite clay as a hair mask will rinse off the scalp, make the hair smooth, shiny, and thick. Here are some amazing ways that bentonite clay is used for your hair:

• Gets rid of dandruff: Dandruff is formed when a fungus called Malassezia infects the scalp. This kind of fungus develops well on the extra sebum that is produced by the scalp. Bentonite clay helps to soak up this sebum and make this fungus hard to live; therefore; avoiding the formation of dandruff. Besides, it also washes off dandruff that has already assembled on the head.
• Aids hair growth: As we mentioned, bentonite clay includes many minerals such as sodium, calcium, and potassium that are essential for hair growth. Besides, it helps to drain off the dead skin cells from the scalp and rinse hair follicles to enhance hair growth^[2].
• Protects hair from infections: We all know that bentonite clay possesses the negative charge that has effects on cleansing the scalp of oil. What’s more, it can prevent bacterial and fungal infections from the scalp.
• Adds shine to the hair: Along with playing as an effective hair mask, bentonite clay also works as an excellent hair rinse to add great shine to the hair.
• Hydration and moisturization: An important component of the hair is water. However, hair is made of keratin, a kind of complex strand, which cannot be able to retain water or regenerate itself when it has grown. Bentonite clay is a great recipe for maintaining the hair water content at a high level as it generally acts as a sponge that removes toxins and dirt, and helps the hair absorb the water deeper. Besides, the oils included in the ingredients contribute to the trap of the moisture when it is absorbed.
• Straightening and de-frizzing: The electrical properties of bentonite clay have a lot of powerful effects. By making a low electrical charge in each hair strand, the strand can straighten and be separated, and thus, it is less to get matted or knotted. Otherwise, the moisture content will help to iron out the kinks as the hair strands are retained buoyant from the core outwards. This is the reason why it is an ideal option for those who have difficulty in managing their hair.
• Softening: Bentonite clay helps to remove all toxins and the grainy and gritty feelings, your hair will be replaced by a smoother texture. Especially, if you add any of the oils suggested to the hair mask, it will penetrate deeper into your hair and keep your hair feeling silkier for a longer time.
• Natural curls: It is very difficult to keep the curly hair be bouncy and tight. In this case, bentonite clay is a great suggestion to ensure your curls stay together and retain their natural look during the day.
• Reduces protein loss and breakage: Over time, the protein of hair is slowly removed by the chemical shampoos and general life so that the hair gets weaker at the ends. Bentonite clay helps to invigorate the protein in the hair by moisturizing and strengthening. Moreover, using bentonite regularly will help hair take longer for the hair to dry out, so make it less vulnerable to the environment.

II. Recipes

Below are some of the simple and easy DIY recipes with bentonite clay for hair issues:

1. Bentonite Clay Hair Mask

“Castor oil is rich in antioxidants that support the keratin in hair, making it smoother, stronger, and less frizzy”^[3] (Medically reviewed by Vindhya L Veerula, MD, FAAD.)

What you need:

• ½ cup of bentonite clay
• 6 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil
• ½ tablespoon of castor oil
• ½ tablespoon of almond oil
• Water
• Glass or plastic bowl
• A wooden spoon

How to do:

• Mix well the bentonite clay with three kinds of carrier oil in a bowl by a wooden spoon
• Add ACV to the bowl and let it for about 15 seconds.
• Add enough water and stir until getting a fine paste that is not too thick or too thin.
• Allow the mixture to stay for a couple of minutes to get a smooth, yogurt-like form without lumps.
• Wash your hair with warm water to wet it. This can help to apply the hair mask smoothly.
• Pick up a handful of hair and apply the bentonite clay mask from the roots to the tips. You need to ensure that all the strands are covered.
• If your hair becomes dry during the mask application, use a spray bottle to dampen it again but not soaking it.
• When you fully coat your hair with the mask, roll up the hair and put it on a shower cap or a plastic cap to keep it for about 20- 30 minutes. Remember that you do not let the clay be dry because it will be difficult to be absorbed. Thus, a hooded or steamer dryer can be useful for extra penetration.
• Rinse off the mask with lukewarm water. You can use shampoo. Make sure that the clay is washed completely off your hair and skin. Another way for hair rinse is to cleanse all bentonite clay first and then wash the hair with the mixture of a cup of herbal tea and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar.
• You can reuse this recipe once to twice monthly.

Note:

You also can add aloe vera juice, olive oil, honey, or a few drops of essential oil to the bentonite clay hair mask to get more benefits from these ingredients.

After already washing your hair, you need to have a bath in a shower. The reason for this is the power of the sink faucet is not able to remove the clay completely. When rinsing out the clay, you can use your own hair conditioner; however; it is not necessary for you to follow a deep conditioner. A cheap, regular, and favorite conditioner is alright.

2. Bentonite Clay Hair Wash

a. Recipe 1

What you need:

• 2 tablespoons of bentonite clay
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• ½ cup of water

How to do:

• Combine all these ingredients in a bowl and mix well
• Pour the hair wash over your entire hair after shampooing it
• Keep it on for about 3 minutes, and then cleanse it off with warm water

b. Recipe 2

What you need: 

• ½ cup of bentonite clay
• ½ cup of aloe vera gel
• 5 drops of Rosemary essential oil
• 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar

How to do: 

•   Mix well all these ingredients
•   Apply the mixture to the hair and cover by a shower cap
•   Let it sit for about 30 minutes
•   Wash it off thoroughly
•   Cleanse with a cup of apple cider vinegar, and then allow to sit for about 2 minutes, and then shampoo

3. Bentonite Clay Hair Detox

What you need:

a. Recipe 1

• 1 cup of Bentonite clay
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• A few drops of aloe vera juice (or your favorite essential oil)

b. Recipe 2

• ¾ cup of bentonite clay
• 1 cup of brewed herbal tea (including ¼ cup of rosemary leaf, 2 tablespoons of nettle leaf, and 2 cups of boiling water. You need to boil this mixture for a few minutes, and then cool and strain it)
• ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
• 5 drops of lavender essential oil
• 5 drops of rosemary essential oil

c. Recipe 3

• 1 cup of bentonite clay
• 1 cup of apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 tbsp of aloe vera juice
• 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
• 3 drops of tea tree oil

d. Recipe 4

• ¾ cup of bentonite clay
• 1 cup of brewed black tea
• ½ cup of apple cider vinegar
• 10 drops of rosemary essential oil

How to do: 

• You can choose one of four above recipes to apply
• Mix all the ingredients well until you get a consistency of yogurt
• Make your hair wet
• Apply the blend directly to your hair from the roots to the tips, and then put it on a conditioning cap
• Let it sit for about 20- 30 minutes
• Rinse it off with lukewarm water

4. Bentonite Clay Hair Mask For Oily Hair

What you need:

• 4 tablespoons of bentonite clay
• 1 tablespoon of lime peel powder (or orange peel powder)
• Water
• 1 tablespoon of licorice powder (optional)
• 1-2 tablespoons of shikakai powder (optional)

How to do:

• Mix the above components to get a smooth paste-like yogurt
• Apply this blend to your hair. Then, put the hair on a shower cap
• Let it on for about 15 minutes, and then wash it off with warm water

5. Bentonite Clay Hair Mask For Hair Growth 

What you need:

• 4 teaspoons of bentonite clay
• 4 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 3 drops of lavender essential oil
• 3 drops of rosemary essential oil
• 3 drops of thyme essential oil
• 1 dose of marshmallow root
• 1 dose nettle leaf

How to do:

• Mix everything well with either your fingers or a plastic (wooden) spoon until you get a smooth paste
• Apply the mixture directly to your hair. Make sure that you cover all the hair
• Leave it on for about 30 minutes
• Rinse it off completely with warm water

6. Bentonite Clay Hair Mask For Hair Loss

What you need: 

• 4 teaspoons of bentonite clay
• 4 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
• 3 drops of cedarwood essential oil
• 1 dose of marshmallow root
• 1 dose of nettle leaf

How to do: 

• Combine all the elements to get a like-yogurt paste
• Make your hair wet
• Massage your hair gently with this blend, and then cover it with a shower cap
• Keep it on for about 45 minutes
• Rinse it off in the shower by using warm water for the best results

7. Bentonite Clay Hair Mask For Moisturizing

What you need: 

• 3 tablespoons of bentonite clay
• 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil or sweet almond oil
• ¼- ½ teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
• Hot water

How to do:

• Mix bentonite clay with hot water to form a smooth consistency
• Add grapeseed oil (or sweet almond oil) to the clay and mix it completely
• Wait until the blend cool, and then apply it for your hair
• Keep it on for about 30 minutes
• Wash it off with warm water

III. Precautions

In spite of being an amazing therapy for the hair, bentonite clay still comes with some precautions that need to be known to ensure that you do not ruin your hair.

• You should wash off the hair mask with warm water before it is thoroughly dry because it can be quite difficult to remove when it dries. Besides, you also can add some drops of olive oil to get rid of the left-over clay in the hair.
• You can change the amount of each ingredient based on the length of the hair.
• Do not use the metal bowl or spoon when mixing your bentonite clay hair mask. Bentonite clay reacts quickly when it contacts with metal, which means that its benefits will be rendered null by the time you use it for your hair.
• Pour some hot water down the sewer after rinsing off the bentonite clay hair mask in order not to make the plumping to clog up.

IV. Bentonite Clay Side Effects

Containing many powerful benefits, however; it still has some concerns for those who apply bentonite clay regularly. The fact is that bentonite clay contains aluminum. So, most concerns about whether aluminum causes side effects on the body or not when consuming it, or use it to store food or cooking. Nowadays, many brands often contain 18.1 percent of aluminum. In general, this percentage is quite various, depending on the brand that you choose.

It is considered that applying bentonite clay as a hair mask, or even on the skin is going to cause minimal risk. Besides, our bodies also naturally contain aluminum that is essential for optimum health with a minor amount.

Many experts confirm that the strong negative charge of aluminum will make it impossible to drain into the body through skin or hair. Thus, it is sure that bentonite clay is not only safe for hair and skin, but also none can seep into the body.

When you know more about bentonite clay and its benefits for scalp and hair, you will be confident to make your own bentonite clay hair mask recipe. Moreover, it is safe to follow bentonite daily for your hair.

All content provided is for informational and educational purposes. We recommend you consult a healthcare professional to determine which method is appropriate for you. Don’t forget to leave your comment in the box below and let us know what you think. Welcome!