DIY Rhassoul Clay & Rose Water Face mask + more ways to use them in your beauty routine
In this Natural Skin Care series, I’ll be sharing my favourite natural skin care products and homemade recipes , using mostly edible, 100% natural ingredients that you probably already have in your pantry. It will help you save money and reduce your use of plastic while helping you avoid potentially harmful chemicals in commercial beauty products.
Ricetta in italiano in fondo
Growing up in a Lebanese household, rose water was game for anything from baked goods to pink eye. As an adult, I fell back on rose water when I was dissatisfied with all the expensive and/or harsh chemical ladden skin care products on the market and it did wonders for my skin. I’m lucky to have inherited my mother’s good genes when it comes to skin, but even genes are no match for the grime and build up that a polluted city like Milan can leave on your skin.
Over the years, I’ve tried different natural DIY skin care formulas and this Rhassoul Clay & Rose Water Face Mask is one of my favourites. It leaves my skin feeling clean,clear, and soft as a baby’s bum, all without stripping it of it’s essential oils and leaving it dry and it’s made with just 3 ingredients: Rhassoul Clay, Rose Water and Filtered Water.
What is rose water?
Rose petals and water. Simple as that. Rose water is made by steeping rose petals (usually Damask roses) with water through a process called steam distillation.
What are the benefits of rose water for skin?
Rose water is graced with the hydrating benefits of water and the anti-inflammatory benefits of roses.
Rose water can help reduce redness and irritation, is gentle enough to treat acne prone skin, eczema and psoriasis, and makes a wonderful make-up remover, facial cleanser and toner all on it’s own, or in combination with other natural products that you probably already have in your pantry.
How to use rose water in DIY beauty products
Here are some of my favourite ways to use rose water as part of my beauty routine.
Rose Water Make Up Remover
Combine a few drops of each pure rose water and coconut oil onto a cotton face pad and use to gently remove stubborn eye make up without irritating your sensitive eyes. Coconut oil may clog pores for some people, so you can wash it off with a mild cleanser or by using another cotton pad with just rose water and gently wiping it away.
Rose Water Face Wipe
Moisten a cotton face pad with rose water and use it to remove grime and build up from your face at the end of the day. If it’s not sufficient, wash your face with a mild cleanser, or apply your favourite face mask afterwards.
Rose Water Facial Spritz
Fill a spray bottle with rose water and spritz it on your face throughout the day to freshen up your skin. It’s refreshing and it smells so so good.
Rose Water Toner
Moisten a cotton face pad with rose water and apply it as a refreshing toner after your cleansing routine.
Rose Water & Rhassoul Clay Face Mask
See recipe below.
How and where to buy rose water
Some brands of rose water are food grade while others are not. If you plan to use it in the kitchen, make sure you’re getting food grade quality. The best place to look for it in this case is a middle eastern supermarket, on Amazon or at your local organic supermarket.
If you’re not interested in food grade rose water, you can get it on Amazon or at your local apothecary (erboristeria in Italy).
Always look for 100% pure unrefined distilled and purified rose water without any additives. Watch out for brands that dilute it by adding too much water, add alcohol, and other additives. I won’t name any names, but for those of you living in Italy, it’s in a blue bottle and it’s sold at most profumerie and supermercati. Not the kind of rose water you want.
I generally buy my rose water, because it’s more convenient for me than making my own, but I came across this fantastic tutorial that I wanted to share, in case you’d like to give homemade rose water a try. If I decide to make the effort myself, I promise to come back and update this post, but for now the store bought stuff will do me just fine.
What is rhassoul Clay?
Rhassoul clay comes from the remote desert region of Morocco near the Atlas Mountains where only natural deposits of the clay is to be found (1). Rhassoul is actually pronounced “Ghhhaaaassoul” in arabic, a throaty sound, similar to the one you make when gargling water and the word comes from the arabic word “ghassale” meaning “to wash”.
Important note: Unlike rose water, above, that also comes in food grade quality, Rhassoul clay is intended for EXTERNAL USE ONLY and not to be ingested.
What are the benefits of rhassoul clay for skin?
Rhassoul clay is purifying and detoxifying. It draws out impurities from the skin, like dirt, black heads and excess sebum without stripping the skin of it’s natural essential oils, and leave if clean, clear and feeling soft.
Rhassoul clay is a mineral product and is rich in silica, magnesium and potassium, making it very useful for skin and nails.
Silica
Silica is major component of collagen, helps reduce the signs of aging and improve skin elasticity(2).
Magnesium
Magnesium helps reduce excess sebum production and improving skin tone and clarity (3).
Potassium
Potassium helps the skin stay moisturized and helps the skin produce new skin cells. Deficiency in potassium can lead to dry skin and hair loss(4).
How to use rhassoul clay in DIY beauty products
Rhassoul clay has been used by Morroccon women for centuries, for hair and skin. Here are some of the most common ways to use it:
Hair Mask
Mix rhassoul clay with water, until you have a paste. Apply it to the hair, leave on for 30 seconds to 1 minute and then rinse. Do not let it sit for too long, as it can cause hair to break as it hardens.
Face Mask
See recipe below
Face Scrub
Mix rhassoul clay with raw cane sugar and olive oil and use a face scrub. Look out for this recipes sometime soon.
Full Body Mask or Scrub
Mix rhassoul clay with water, until you have a paste. Apply it to the whole body until it dries then jump into the shower or bath and rinse it off. This is a great way to force yourself to DO NOTHING, because once you have rhassoul clay all over your body, you literally can’t do anything.
How and where to buy rhassoul clay
You can buy rhassoul clay on online, at local apothecary or in the beauty department at your local health food store. Make sure it only lists one ingredient, 100% rhassoul clay from the Moroccon Atlas Mountains.
Rhassoul Clay & Rose Water Purifying Face Mask
Ingredients
1 Tsp Rhassoul Clay Powder
1 Tsp Distilled Rose Water
Filtered Water, as needed
Method
Combine a small amount of rhassoul clay powder with a few drops of water and a teaspoon of rose water and mix to form a smooth thick paste.
Apply to face and neck. Let sit for 10-20 minutes until dry to the touch.
This is a great time to dry brush or take a selfie looking fierce, like this.
Soak a wash cloth in hot water and let cool to the touch, then place it on your face for a few minutes to soften the clay mask.
Slowly wipe off the mask using the face cloth, making sure your face is completely over the sink so that it catches any falling piece of clay, as it can get messy. Alternatively, you can do this in the shower or bathtub.
Wash your face with warm water to remove excess residue.
Basque in the glow of clean, clear and soft skin.
Maschera purificante di argilla rhassoul e acqua di rosa
Ingredienti
1 cucchiaiono di polvere di argilla Rhassoul
1 cucchiaiono di acqua di rosa distillata
Acqua filtrata, quanto basta
Metodo
Unire l’argilla rhassoul con poche gocce d'acqua e un cucchiaino di acqua di rosa e mescolare per formare una pasta liscia e spessa.
Applicare su viso e collo e lasciare riposare per 10-20 minuti fino a quando non si è asciutto al tatto.
Questo è un ottimo momento per spazzolarsi a secco o fare un selfie, come questo.
Bagnare un panno in acqua calda e lasciare raffreddare al tatto, quindi posizionarlo sul viso per alcuni minuti per ammorbidire la maschera di argilla.
Pulisci lentamente la maschera usando il panno, assicurandoti che il tuo viso sia completamente sopra il lavandino in modo da afferrare qualsiasi pezzo di argilla che cade. In alternativa, puoi farlo nella doccia o nella vasca da bagno.
Lavare il viso con acqua tiepida per rimuovere i residui in eccesso.
Godi la luminosità della pelle pulita, chiara e morbidissima.
