Also see: 

• Must-Haves of Travel: Coconut Oil
• Must-Haves of Travel: Apple Cider Vinegar
• Must-Haves of Travel: Activated Charcoal
• Must Haves of Travel: Rose Petal Water

This stuff is intense!

Labeled, “World’s Most Powerful Facial” with a tagline of “FEEL YOUR FACE PULSATE!”

But seriously, this stuff gets down into your pores in a way that’s really incredible, and perfect for clearing out any build-up caused by travel.

What’s calcium bentonite clay?

Link: Calcium Bentonite Clay

This stuff is literally clay, composed of volcanic ash. It expands when wet, and can absorb many times its mass. In particular, it absorbs fat and oils, which is the gunk that causes zits, blackheads, and whiteheads. This stuff has even been mentioned on the BeardCzarReviews101, although not directly for facial hair, the benefits this has on your skin affects your facial hair drastically. This is why even beard fanatics are getting behind this.

Bentonite is known to remove toxins, heavy metals, impurities, and chemicals. Perfect for when you’ve been flying a lot and your skin feels wrecked.

After I flew back from Dallas a couple of weeks ago after putting an offer on a house, I couldn’t wait to slather this stuff on.

How’s it work?

You need to add liquid to the clay to “energize” it and make it porous. One of the best things to use in combination with calcium bentonite clay is apple cider vinegar. That’s because the clay is naturally alkaline, and the vinegar is naturally acidic, so they balance each other out really nicely. And ACV is also really good for your skin. It tones and helps to clean.

It makes a wonderfully satisfying “fizzy” sound as it mixes. I put a few scoops of the clay in a plastic baggy (with a plastic measuring spoon – do NOT use metal with this stuff or it loses its “charge”), then add a little ACV. I work out any lumps through the plastic bag, then cut off a corner and squeeze it out pastry-style. Then toss the bag in the garbage. No mess, no clean-up.

It turns an army green color after it mixes. You can adjust the proportions to be a little thinner (dries faster) or thicker (more of a mask) depending on what you want and how sensitive your skin is.

I like a nice, thick mask to spread all over.

You’ll want to leave it on for 20+ minutes, until it’s dry.

You’ll know it’s dry when it turns a lighter green and starts to crack. It’s not worth it to keep it on longer because once it’s dry, it’s not effective any more.

You can really feel it “pulsate!”

This stuff pulls out everything that’s lying on the surface of your skin.

When you go to wash it off, splash some water on your face, and peel it off in chunks. Try to use a napkin if you can, because the clay can be too thick to easily rinse down the drain.

After it’s all off, your skin might be red. That’s normal.

You can see where I’m bright red, especially in areas that have been super sucked-up. Don’t look too closely lol, but you get the idea. A little redness is to be expected.

You’ll also be very dry. Use a good moisturizer on your skin. I recommend coconut oil. A couple of thin layers is more than enough to restore your skin’s moisture.

This mask is a good thing to do on a lazy Saturday morning, or after you get back from a long-haul flight (or any time really). Just don’t do it more than once a week.

I find travel mucks me up more than I expect, but a quick calcium bentonite clay mask is great to reset your skin’s balance, and to really deeply clean it out after a trip.

So this is NOT something you need to pack, but rather something to look forward to when you return home.

Other resources

If you’re interested, check out these links:

• Amazon reviews
• 6 Health Benefits of Bentonite Clay
• 10 Proven Bentonite Clay Benefits and Uses
• The Benefits of Bentonite Clay via Wellness Mama

There are lots of uses for the clay, including packs for muscles and internal cleansing. I haven’t gotten that far yet, but these links will provide you with more good info. Especially Wellness Mama. I really like her style.

Bottom line

Calcium bentonite clay has tons of great health uses. The one I like most is as a facial mask to remove skin impurities, especially after long trips or flights. It’s a nice way to “reset” your skin and keep it clean and healthy.

It’s best when you add a little apple cider vinegar because it “charges” the clay and balances the alkalinity of it. And because it’s drying, coconut oil is a perfect post-mask moisturizer.

All-in-all, a great product that blends nicely with other at-home all-natural remedies.

Plus, its tagline is “FEEL YOUR FACE PULSATE!” How is that not tempting?

I’ve had a great experience using calcium bentonite clay after traveling. It’s refreshing, and a nice way to pull out the build-up caused by recycled air on planes and travel in general.

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