You’ve probably read the title of this post and think I’ve gone bonkers- curly girl method clay masks – what is she talking about? It’s over a year an a half since I discovered the curly girl method and I have since tried many products, some with more success than others. The condition of my hair has improved drastically since I’ve started my curly girl journey, but it’s still not as healthy as I’d like it to be. I’ve recently read about the benefits of clay masks – which are not just great for the hair but also for the face – and I decided to give them a go.
There are many types of clay, so far I’ve been using the most common one, Rhassoul clay (also called Ghassoul clay).
Rhassoul clay comes from Morocco, near the Atlas mountains. It’s rich in minerals: magnesium, sodium, silica, potassium, zinc and many others, all of which are known to have amazing beneficial properties for hair. It has great detoxifying abilities, and it’s well known for its extraordinary ability to draw out impurities from hair and skin.
When mixed with water the clay is negatively charged. It attracts positively charged particles, like impurities and toxins in the hair and removes them as they clay is rinsed off.
What are the benefits of Rhassoul clay?
- Soothes the scalp, reduces dryness and flakiness, and provides relief from dandruff and psoriasis
- Draws impurities from the hair, deep cleansing it
- Removes product build up
- Leaves hair soft and shiny
- Enhances hair volume
- Strengthens hair condition
- Stimulates hair growth
There are no strict do’s and don’ts when it comes to clay masks. It’s a case of experimenting and seeing what works best for your hair
The easiest way of preparing the clay is just adding water to it and stirring until it’s completely dissolved. There are a lot of recipes out there with different oils and/or other powders but it’s really down to personal preference. I initially just used the clay dissolved in water with a bit of rosehip oil (as it’s regenerative). I now use hibiscus tea instead of plain water – hibiscus stimulates hair growth and prevents splits ends keeping the hair nourished and hydrated. And also add a bit of Amla powder. Amla promotes hair growth, boots hair volume and has many other properties. My mixture has a yogurt like consistency, not too dry and not too watery, I find that consistency makes it easier to apply it.
curly girl method clay masks
I’m not going to lie, applying the clay mask is a bit messy but not as bad as you might think. I had been reading a lot about clays before I decided to give them a try, and the only thing that kept putting me off trying them was the mess. But it’s actually not too bad and very easy to wash off and clean.
Apply the mixture to wet hair. I follow the curly girl method, so I cowash my hair first to make sure it’s clean, and then apply the mask with a hair dye brush. I use the brush for the roots but I end up using my hands to apply the mixture to the rest of the hair. I leave it on my hair for about 30 minutes and then I rinse it off. The clay absorbs all the impurities in the hair leaving it super clean but also very dry so it’s recommended to use a deep conditioning mask afterwards. I use Matrix Biolage Hydrasource Conditioner or Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Hair Mask which are both curly girl method friendly.
I’ve seen the biggest improvement in my hair since I’ve started the curly girl method. Of all the products I’ve tried, clay has been the one that has made the biggest difference. My curls are really defined with lovely clumps and amazing volume so I’m now a convert and will be using clay masks on a regular basis.
You can read my other curly girl method posts here, here, here and here
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