Green clay for oily skin, white kaolin and Moroccan rhassoul for dry skin, fine clay for make-up removal: the same natural rock adapts to your skin type. Two tablespoons mixed with water are all it takes for the paste, and the area around the eyes and mouth should always be left clear.
Green, white, kaolin or ghassoul: which clay for which skin?
at the first sign of tightness, rinse off with lukewarm water straight away, rather than waiting for the clay to set like a plaster cast
Bentonite, kaolin, illite, montmorillonite, attapulgite, and Moroccan ghassoul: clays are not all alike, and not every one suits the same skin. If yours tends to turn shiny a little too quickly, reach for green clay, mixed with hazelnut oil and mineral water: this purifying mask is applied with a brush, straight onto the face.
Dry or mature skin? Combine equal parts white kaolin, Moroccan rhassoul and seaweed powder for a hydrating mask designed with these skin types in mind. And what about blemishes? Clay has its place there too, as a simple everyday mask, while saving more exfoliating treatments for occasions when you want an extra glow.
How do you make your own mask at home, without any fancy equipment?
Before it becomes a skincare product, clay is a natural rock: a blend of hydrated silicates or aluminosilicates, arranged in a layered structure, formed from the weathering of other rocks. Turning it into a mask doesn’t call for precise measurements: in a bowl, mix two tablespoons of green clay with a little water, until you get a paste that’s slightly thick and smooth. That’s as far as it goes.
There's a finer version of this same material, used in a different way: a very fine or ultra-sifted clay, worked into a soft paste, doubles as a quick make-up remover. It cleanses the skin without irritating it, a simple step worth keeping to hand even before you think about the mask.
How long should you leave it on without drying out your skin?
Forget pricey creams: a sachet of white clay is enough, as Lydia Mammar sensibly points out. The only rule that matters before you start: trace the outline of the face, leaving the area around the eyes and mouth completely free. Spread the paste over the rest of the face with your fingertips, without aiming for record thickness, and massage gently before moving on to the next step.
As for timing, allow five to ten minutes on the face (save the twenty-minute rule for hair, that’s a different story). Lydia Mammar herself stops at around ten minutes. The classic mistake? Letting the mask crack like an old fresco while waiting for it to dry out completely: at the first sign of tightness, rinse off with lukewarm water straight away, rather than waiting for the clay to set like a plaster cast.
Ghassoul and tfal: our clays have roots of their own
Tfal, a clay mask long used in Tunisian hammams (traditional steam baths), has never left them. Alongside black soap, loofah scrubs, henna or rose water, this clay mask belongs to beauty rituals inherited from tradition. There's nothing to import, then: the ritual already exists right at home.
Tfal itself, a crumbly stone blending white clay and baked aromatics, is still produced in Sfax and Ghar El Milh. It proves that a facial treatment can rest on local know-how, with no foreign label or imported bottle.
At the end of the day, clay keeps its original promise: an accessible treatment that adapts to your skin. Green for shiny skin, white kaolin or ghassoul for dry and mature skin, the choice is made in front of your mirror, not on a label. Keep the routine simple: trace the outline of the face, keep an eye on the clock, and rinse off as soon as the skin feels tight, rather than waiting for the mask to crack like an old fresco. A gesture within everyone’s reach, to file alongside the tfal and soap that have never left our hammams.
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