DIY: Bentonite Clay Hair Mask

Hey Curlies! So I took down my crochet braids just shy of 3 wks and decided to give my hair another bentonite clay wash to properly cleanse it after so long between washes. Also, I knew I was going to do another protective style this weekend so its good to get the hair and scalp nice and clean 🙂

I loooooove washing my hair with bentonite clay! My hair feels super clean without feeling stripped and dry. Not to mention how pretty my coils look after! I followed up my clay wash with my DIY: Coconut Milk Deep Conditioner and this morning my hair was simply AMAZING!

Bentonite Clay Hair Mask Recipe

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 1/4 cup bentonite clay
• 3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (ACV)
• 2 Tbsp aloe vera juice

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The Process:

1. Pour clay into plastic bowl
2. Add ACV and listen to the crackling sound as they react *-*
3. Add aloe vera juice and mix together well (until smooth)
4. Apply to damp hair using the shingling method (as you would apply relaxer)
5. Massage onto scalp and ensure your strands are coated from root to tip
6. Let sit 20 – 30 minutes
7. Rinse
8. Follow with a deep conditioner

Tips:

1. If your clay mask is not the consistency you want, just add a little bit more liquid. I started with 2 Tbsp of each liquid but found that it was a little too thick for me (see pic above – top right corner) so I added another Tbsp of ACV to smooth it out. (see pic above – 2nd row – left)

That’s it! I didn’t add any other special ingredient to my clay mask because I knew I was going to use them in my deep conditioner but you can add great things like honey, olive oil, essential oil etc.

Bentonite Clay replaces your shampoo during your wash cycle. Here’s a bit of information found on the Coily Queens Rock blog. Be sure to go on over for many more amazing tips, advice and recipes for 4C hair!

What do clay washes do that shampoos and conditioning cleansers do not?
Clay washes are completely organic when you prepare them yourself, so this is perfect for the woman who is avoiding chemical filled products with names you cannot pronounce. Clay washes unlike shampoos or conditioning cleansers, improves the elasticity of the hair, your hair texture, defines your coils better, conditions and softens your hair 50% better than non sulfate shampoos or conditioner. With some clay washes you do not have to deep condition because it leaves your hair so soft. This decreases the amount of time you spend shampooing your hair.

Bentonite clay:  A natural calcium bentonite
This is one of the most popular clays because it is very inexpensive and lasts a long time. This clay is highly absorbent, it will clarify your hair the best but your hair will not feel stripped or dry. Remember these clays are rich minerals from Morocco to France and Asia and other places with mineral rich dirt. This is not dirt you find in your back yard. So as it absorbs all the bad stuff from your hair it also feeds it good minerals, which leave your hair soft and supple. Unlike the Moroccan red clay, when you wash with the bentonite clay you will need to deep condition afterwards. The bentonite clay does not contain as high amounts of potassium, magnesium and silica as the red clay does. So I found that deep conditioning was still necessary after a bentonite clay wash.

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