Clay, a common type of soil found all around the world, also happens to be great for detoxifying skin! This is why different types of clay are found in a whole host of skincare products, both wet and in their powdered form. Clays are great for acne, circulation, sun damage and drawing impurities out of the skin.

Let’s take a look at some clay superstars and what they can do for your skin — and more!

Kaolin Clay 

Identification: soft white clay used in manufacture of china and porcelain

Appearance: varies in colour from white to dark brown

Named After: Kao-ling, the hill in China from which it was mined for centuries

Alias: China Clay

Superpower: adding silky “slip” to powder mixes such as baby powder

Other Powers: deodorizing; helping to dry areas where moisture gets trapped; absorbing oil and helping to exfoliate debris on skin; very gentle

Great Team Member In: shave creams, fresh cleansers and face masks

Starring in: Sweet Cheeks Baby Bum Powder

French Green Clay

Identification: soft, light-green clay, quarry mined from natural deposits

Appearance: light green, thanks to iron oxide and decomposed plant matter

Named After: its original source in France

Alias: Sea Clay

Superpower: pulling oils, toxins and impurities from skin

Other Powers: stimulating skin; clearing acne; tightening and toning skin and pores

Great Team Member In: face masks, body wraps, soap making, cleansers, face and body scrubs

Starring in: Safflower & Green Clay Detoxifying Mask

French Pink Clay

Identification: combination of red and white clays, including Kaolin Clay, Illite, Bentonite and Calcite

Appearance: fine, rose-coloured clay

Superpower: the mildest of the French clays, best for sensitive or mature skin

Other Powers: Cleansing and exfoliating

Great Team Member In: face masks, body wraps, soap making, cleansers, face and body scrubs

Diatomaceous Earth (food grade)

Identification: not actually a clay, diatomaceous earth is composed of tiny, powdered, fossilized organisms called diatoms (a phytoplankton)

Appearance: fine, off-white powder

Named After: the tiny organisms of which it is made up

Alias: Grass of the Sea, DE

Superpower: the fossilized diatoms have the ability to lacerate the exoskeletons of various types of insects (including fleas, bed bugs and ticks) and kill them via dehydration

Other Powers: stimulating collagen in hair, skin, nails, teeth and bone; killing internal parasites, viruses and worms; scrubbing and flushing the digestive tract

Great Team Member In: pest control, toothpaste, deodorant, cleansers, face masks

Starring in: Take a Hike Dogger Shake

Bentonite Clay

Identification: a popular clay made up of aged volcanic ash

Appearance: grey or cream-coloured powder (it should not be pure white)

Named After: the Cretaceous Benton Shale in Wyoming

Alias: Montmorillonite

Superpower: wonderfully effective and healing in face masks and elsewhere

Other Powers: swelling like a sponge when mixed with water; soothing skin irritation

Great Team Member In: face masks, poultices, detoxifying baths

Fuller’s Earth

Identification: decomposed volcanic ash

Appearance: light-coloured clay, from cream to light yellow

Named After: its early use by fullers in the wool industry to clean and degrease woolen clothing

Alias: Multani mitti

Superpower: great for the complexion

Other Powers: hydrating; oil-absorbing; antiseptic; adding slip to creams; deep cleaning pores; exfoliation

Great Team Member In: face masks, cleansers, dry shampoo

Starring in: Jack Shave Creme

Rhassoul Clay

Identification: mineral-rich clay mined in Morocco

Appearance: light, reddish-brown powder

Named After: the Arabic word for “washing,” Rassala

Alias: Red Moroccan clay

Superpower: high capacity for absorption due to its high level of ion exchange

Other Powers: reducing dryness and flakiness of skin; evening skin tone; reducing blemishes; can be used daily as a gentle cleanser; high negative charge which draws blackheads out from skin

Great Team Member In: soaps, hair and face masks, spa treatments