Ghassoul Clay is also known as Rhassoul clay (aka Ghassoul clay*) or Rassoul, has a long history of use in beauty care. It has been used for over 1,400 years as a soap, shampoo and skin conditioner. It was used by the nobility in ancient Rome and Egypt because it naturally pulls out oil and debris from the hair and skin. Today, Rhassoul Clay is a favorite with the finest spas and resorts worldwide.
*(In Arabic the actual pronunciation of “ghassoul” begins with a “ghain,” which is a sound that English speaking people find very difficult to pronounce. For this reason many native English speakers have changed the pronunciation to a “ra” sound pronouncing it as “rhassoul.”)
Meaning: Its name is from the Arabic word (ghassala), which means “washing”
Rhassoul clay is ancient clay that was formed under the Atlas Mountains in Morocco in Northern Africa. The deposits were formed under what are now vast desiccated Jurrasic lakes, where the seams are found between layers of crystallized gypsum. Over the course of millions of years, small earthquakes, tremours and surface activity worked tiny fragments of gypsum into the clay layers.
When first mined, Rhassoul clay is a brown, chunky soap-like clay. Since these clay deposits were deeply buried over millions of years which makes them difficult to extract. Rhassoul is mined in shafts where workers alternate digging and removal of the clay. Seams of clay are extracted with a pick axe, dynamite is never used. In a typical Moroccan Rhassoul mine several chambers are worked at once giving an average production of 12 tonnes per day.
After laying in the earth for millions of years in ancient Jurassic lakes, the Rhassoul Clay emerges into the light of present day, in clods that will be transported for initial processing and filtration. During this filtration process the clay is first washed in mountain source river water and aerated, being repeatedly turned in vats. In this photograph, the clay is about to be sieved to remove extraneous matter.
The clay is poured on the ground for drying where it is dried for 24 hours by the sun and pure desert breezes blowing in from the Sahara and the Atlantic Ocean. With Each natural crystal structure of each clay particle is charged in harmony under both the sun and the moon. Once the clay is completely dried it is collected into natural burlap bags and readied for refinement.
This clay is a smectic (or swelling) clay, which means that it's extremely absorbent-much more so than other cosmetic clays. In fact, it's made up of three layers with a water layer sandwiched in between. This clay has a unique ability to absorb tremendous amounts of water, which makes it ideal for cleansing and detoxifying the skin.
Rhassoul clay contains higher percentages of silica, magnesium, potassium, calcium and other trace minerals than other clays. These minerals make the clay highly detoxifying as they can actually exchange themselves for toxic compounds like metals in the skin. So the clay not only works to remove impurities from your skin-it also replaces them with nourishing trace minerals. And, the clay's high level of ions exchange makes it ideal for toning and enriching the skin.
But perhaps the best part about Rhassoul clay is what it doesn't contain: no petrochemical derivatives, no synthetic preservatives, no surfactants or artificial colors ... all of which are common in commercial soaps and cleansers.
How is Rhassoul Clay Used?
Rhassoul clay can be used as a soap, skin conditioner, shampoo or mask for the face and body. It acts like a soap but leaves a sweet scent behind.
When Rhassoul Clay is further refined and micronized it yields a product that is finer and less textured than the common grade. Micronized Rhassoul Clay is well suited for more delicate applications like facial masks. The resulting powder is smooth and almost silky when rubbed between the fingers. This creates a fine, smooth paste that looks like chocolate pudding and feels wonderful going on as a mask.
Rhassoul is invaluable for spa treatments and for personal use. Its extraordinary power of absorption makes it more effective than other clays for cleansing, detoxifying, and general skin treatment. Rhassoul clay is extremely rich in trace minerals. These minerals detoxify the skin using by extracting a variety of skin pollutants.
Clinical studies have been conducted on Rhassoul. Two U.S. labs namely International Research Services Inc. and Structure Probe Inc. in United States, conducted clinical studies on Rhassoul clay. After just a single use, users reported the following results in their skin:
In general Rhassoul:
• Reduces dryness
• Reduces flakiness
• Improves skin clarity
• Improves skin elasticity / firmness
• Improves skin texture
• Removes surface oil and oil from inside and around clogged pores
• Removes dead skin layers, resulting in a general smoothing of the surface skin
• Reduces dryness
• Reduces flakiness
• Improves skin clarity
• Improves skin elasticity / firmness
• Improves skin texture
• Removes surface oil and oil from inside and around clogged pores
• Removes dead skin layers, resulting in a general smoothing of the surface skin
Rhassoul clay's most impressive properties in skin improvement are its capacity of absorption and adsorption due to its high level of ion exchange. Clinical studies have been conducted by two different research laboratories in the United States to evaluate Rhassoul use for skin conditions. The results of this single use Rhassoul study produced these findings….
- Reduces dryness (79%)
- Reduces flakiness (41%)
- Improves skin clarity (68%)
- Improves skin elasticity / firmness (24%)
- Improves skin texture (106%)
- Removes surface oil and oil from inside and around comedons
- Removes dead skin layers, resulting in a general smoothing of the surface skin
- In addition to the oil removal characteristics
Today Rhassoul can be found in high quality international skin care products and is also used for purifying body and face masks by Spas. Rhassoul clay leaves the hair and skin unbelievably clean by removing excess oils and toxins. It leaves the skin and hair smooth, moisturised, clean, clear, firm and fresh.
