There’s a misconception that type 4 girls don’t have curls. Well, I tried a bentonite clay mask and it made my tight curls come ALIVE with my very first application. I must say, my excitement was through the roof! Bentonite clay is composed of ash made from volcanoes. I was introduced to this product through the wonderful world of YouTube and I just knew I had to try it.
RECIPE
To make this clay mask, here’s what you’ll need:
• 1/2 cup bentonite clay
• 3/4 cup of Aloe Vera juice
**When working with bentonite clay be sure to use a NON-METAL bowl and utensil.**
That’s it! The tricky part is mixing the ingredients, it never seems to go smoothly but it’s worth it.
HOW TO APPLY
My solution is to use “The Praying Hands Method” to apply the clay mask to my hair and in the process it breaks up all the clumps left in the clay after mixing.
There is only one word to describe this mask— LIFE! I left the mask on for about 45 minutes before rinsing. Afterwards my hair was soft, shiny, springy, and super curly. (This was after applying it to dirty, week old hair and without any form of conditioner being added.)
My ends never looked so good, my hair never felt so moisturized, and the tiny ringlets on my ends were such a pleasant surprise. In addition to these instant, visual results, bentonite clay has a number of other benefits that definitely make this a step to add to your regimen.
HOW IT WORKS
Chemically, in its natural state bentonite clay is negatively charged. As a result, it is able to easily bind with chemicals which possess a positive charge. Along with adding definition, shine, and body, bentonite clay also helps to remove any toxins or impurities we may acquire since our last wash day. This leaves us with clean, healthy, “can’t keep our hands out of it” hair.
You may also be wondering, “Why aloe vera juice?” On the bottle, it suggests combining the clay with apple cider vinegar or water. I wanted something more gentle so I decided to use aloe vera juice instead. Aloe vera not only promotes hair growth, but it reduces itching on the scalp, treats dandruff, and conditions the hair. I knew it would be the perfect addition to my clay mask recipe, and I was right!
FINAL VERDICT
Overall I give this clay mask a 9 out of 10, since mixing wasn’t a fun time (even though the results made it all worth it.) I plan on adding this clay mask to my regimen once a month and treating my tresses to this incredible, easy, one stop shop to make my curls POP!
In the video below, I show you exactly how I make and apply my clay mask. If you’ve used bentonite clay before, how did it work for you?
