Natural Cures: The Wonders of Bentonite Clay

Years ago, my skin was horrible. Just before I started to really change my diet, a colleague of mine who was deep in the holistic lifestyle introduced me to bentonite clay to use on my skin. I was amazed at how it seemed to literally suck impurities out of my pores and left my skin feeling tight and firm.  Since then, I have kept a large container of bentonite in my bathroom amongst my beauty products, and every now and then I can be seen roaming around the house with my bentonite mask on.

Besides it’s ability to be used topically on the skin to heal acne, eczema, wounds, insect bites (worked for me with mosquito bites–shrunk them down in a day), bentonite can also be taken internally and can heal anything from heavy metal posioning, food allergies, food poisoning, mucus colitis, spastic colitis, digestive disorders, viral infections, stomach flu, ***parasites (apparently parasites cannot reproduce in the presence of clay), stomach ulcers, diarrhea, arthritis, anemia, and the list goes on.

This miraculous clay has been used by indigenous people since the dawn of time, and even animals in the wild have been observed eating the clay or rolling in it to heal wounds. It gets its name from Benton, Wyoming; although bentonite clay can be found throughout the world, the largest concentrations of it actually are in the Great Plains in the U.S.

So how exactly does it work?  Well, the clay itself has a negative electrical charge. When it absorbs water it expands and becomes like a porous sponge. Toxins and impurities have a positive charge, so they are drawn to the clay and bound. Not only is this clay amazing for intestinal health because of its ability to eliminate toxins, according to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology it also can absorb pathogenic viruses, herbicides, and pesticides. Want to make the clay more effective? Use apple cider vinegar to mix your mask instead of water.

You can find bentonite clay in powder, capsule, or gel form. Make sure if you are taking it internally, the kind you purchase specifies that the clay is safe for internal use.  To start you can take up to a tablespoon a day mixed with juice on an empty stomach or at least an hour before eating. Its very important if you take bentonite internally, that you drink sufficient amounts of water, to assist the body in flushing it out. Whether your looking for a beauty boost, or some internal healing, bentonite clay is a powerful natural remedy not to be overlooked! -XoXo Raw Girl