French green clay has been around for centuries, but did you know that for awhile people almost forgot it existed?
For hundreds of years, French green clay was historically used in Europe as a detoxifying agent for the body and skin, before being looked upon as an old home remedy of sorts.
In the 1950’s-1970’s, it started being recommended by naturopaths and holistic practitioners for a variety of skin conditions, leading to it gaining popularity again. By the 1980’s and 90’s, it became a staple among the high-end luxury skincare products — it’s worth was proven again.
More recently, the green beauty movement, emphasizing non-toxic, eco-friendly, and organic products, boosted French green clay’s reputation. Its mineral-rich profile made it a favorite in DIY skincare and professional treatments.
You’ll find it in soaps, night creams, anti-redness creams, and in face masks. And let’s face it I think everyone loves a good facial mask their skin can benefit from!
What is French Green Clay?
French green clay is a pale green powder that’s light and airy when dry, and smooth and creamy when wet.
It forms naturally from volcanic ash and decomposed plant matter over thousands of years, with its distinctive green color coming from the presence of iron oxides and decomposed plant material, particularly kelp and seaweed.
While it is traditionally sourced from France, similar clays with comparable mineral compositions can also be found in other regions worldwide. However, “French green clay” specifically refers to clay mined in France due to its long-standing reputation and quality.
From Pangea Organics,
“French green clay, (aka) Illite clay or Montmorillonite clay, is a naturally occurring mineral-rich clay sourced from quarries in France.
Its unique green color is derived from iron oxides and decomposed plant matter — mostly kelp seaweed, which lend the clay its remarkable detoxifying and purifying properties.”
This being made from the earth itself is very natural and purifying for your skin. French green clay can be used in many different ways, depending on how and why the individual is using it to treat their skin.
Benefits and Uses of French Green Clay
There’s many reasons why people use french green clay, but this and it is recommended most for those with dry or sensitive skin or hair.
Here are 5 ways French Green Clay will transform your skin:
Here are the five main ways it works wonders for your skin —
- Detoxifies and Purifies the Skin
French green clay has strong absorptive properties that help draw out toxins, impurities, and excess oils from the skin. This makes it particularly effective for deep cleansing, leaving the skin feeling refreshed and clear. - Exfoliates Gently
The fine texture of the clay acts as a natural exfoliant, removing dead skin cells and promoting a brighter, smoother complexion without causing irritation. - Balances Oily and Acne-Prone Skin
French green clay helps regulate sebum production, making it ideal for people with oily or acne-prone skin. Its antibacterial and astringent properties also help minimize breakouts and reduce inflammation. - Tightens Pores and Improves Skin Texture
When applied as a mask, the clay helps tighten and refine pores, giving the skin a smoother, firmer appearance. Over time, this can enhance overall skin texture and elasticity. - Soothes and Heals Irritated Skin
Packed with minerals like magnesium, calcium, and potassium, French green clay has soothing properties that calm redness and irritation. It also promotes faster healing of minor skin conditions, such as blemishes or insect bites.
The less products the better if you have skin that gets irritated easily – so the fact that French green clay can do so many things at once makes it one of the best products for people with a dry or sensitive skin type.
Insect Bites
One of the major uses of french green clay is to help any type of insect bites. This can be used as a paste to any minor cuts, bruises, insect bites, stings, and minor burns. It can be used to soothe any of these minor things because of the cooling sensation it has.
You only need a thin layer on the area and let it dry fully before taking it off with lukewarm water. You can apply this repeatedly throughout the day. It can help prevent any type of infection because of the antibacterial properties french green clay may have.
As it dries the clay pulls out any toxins from the surface of the skin to keep it from getting infected.
Different Ingredients in French Green Clay
French green clay can have many ingredients and properties just depending on how you buy it or make it. It can be combined with various oils and other ingredients.
An example would be any type of floral water. Floral water can be mixed in or can be already incorporated in your french green clay making it more hydrating to the skin. Many of the carrier oils can be mixed in like jojoba oil,coconut oil, and essential oils.
Another common ingredient some people mix in their french green clay is apple cider vinegar. Using apple cider vinegar for external use can help because the vinegar’s acidic properties help activate the clay’s ability to draw out impurities and excess oil from the skin. This can be made as a paste and applied to your skin and let dry, usually taking 15 minutes to dry then rinsing off with warm water.
Most apply this where there skin is more oily to draw it out ot their skin.
A contributing factor in the green color of french green clay is kelp seaweed. This has been used throughout both aesthetic and medicinal therapies for thousands of years in the skincare health community.
Bentonite Clay vs. French Green Clay
These are both very similar in the way there are both clays used in skincare products that have various skincare benefits but they are two different things. French green clay known as sea clay is mined from the earth, and bentonite clay is mined from chemical changes in ancient volcanic ash.
The best choice you pick out of these two clays is based on whatever your skin type is like.
Bentonite Clay is more recommended for a multipurpose clay with detoxifying qualities and french green clay is more recommended for dry, sensitive even acne-prone skin. Both have very different but amazing skincare benefits for each and everybody’s skin tone and skin type.
Heavy Metals?
Because French green clay is considered a natural mineral with a high concentration of beneficial trace elements, some unpurified clays can contain heavy metals in them depending on the quality of where and how it was sourced. Those heavy metals can include lead, arsenic, and mercury.
This warning applies most to people who practiced drinking their French green clay as a detoxifying tonic (much like we saw in our Pearl Powder article where it’s very common for Asian women to drink their pearl powder for ultimate benefits). You would NOT want to do that with French Green clay, especially if you’re unsure of the purity.
It is recommended you choose a brand that has tested purity levels to avoid putting any heavy metals on your face.
We only source our raw materials like our French Green clay, Pearl Powder and Magnesium from companies with the highest commitment to purity and quality. That way, if your toddler decides to try some for a snack, it shouldn’t cause any harm (just taste awful hopefully to prevent them from trying again)!
Benefiting Yourself
Many skincare products today promise to help solve multiple issues at once, but we’ve rarely seen one product act in such a beneficial way as French Green clay.
From detoxifying your skin, to deeply cleansing and even tightening your pores so that your face looks tighter and younger — to moisturizing and soothing redness and irritation, while promoting faster healing of blemishes or minor skin conditions, French Green clay seems like it can do anything!
The best part is knowing that French green clay is a natural choice, making it an ideal option for your health—especially when it comes to caring for your skin.
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