I first heard about this beauty and healing secret from a very skin-wise Parisian friend on the topic of Americans getting sick when they visit India. The secret to not getting sick? Eat green clay. Apparently argile verte (known as argital activated green clay in America) has both internal and external uses: internally as detox and disinfectant and externally for skin healing and deep cleansing.
In terms of a trip to India where one is exposed to unfamiliar and harmful bacteria in food and water, drinking an argil verte water solution every morning for one week will coat the lining of the intestines and protect the lining from being attacked by the kind of bacteria that leads you on a one-man tour of third world toilets.
Magic of Green Clay
How it Works
Argile verte–Green Clay–is a highly fine clay and is a negatively charged substance which pushes away toxic, diseased acidic and pathological materials in the body that is said to be positively charged. On both an internal (drinking) and external (as a mask) level, the clay’s purifying action takes place by neutralizing the positive charges attached to toxins in the body, which are then flushed out through natural processes. Since clay cannot be absorbed into the blood or cells themselves, there is no way for it to for deposits in the body.
Detox Recipe
Mix 1 tablespoon clay with glass of water and leave next to bed. In the morning, drink the liquid that has separated from the larger clay particles that have fallen to the bottom. Before travelling to places of questionable water bacteria, drink clay water for 7-10 days prior to travel.
Argile Verte Uses
Face Mask: Add water. A tip... wear in shower, its much better to open and reopen pores whilst wearing mask rather than letting it dry to cracks against your skin.
Deep pore cleaning: The super fine, mineral charged clay get deep into pores, unclogging and cleansing them. The clay will literally pull out the acne infection in the skin. So if youre having a breakout, a clay mask will at first make it appear worse, but it is simply drawing out the “infections” inside the pores.
Against Acne: use bi/weekly mask, or create paste for spot treatment
Anti-aging: Frequent (though appropriate) use is said to help against the appearance of fine wrinkles.
Shrinks pores: Removes dirt from pores, tightening them together.
Doesn’t dry out skin: Unlike many drugstore/cosmetics masks, argile vert leaves skin soft and supple, not tight and dried out
Sun burn relief: Use as a paste on burnt skin but don't let dry fully
Brightens skin: Iron oxides within clay exfoliate and brighten skin
Wound Healing: Apply over cuts, scrapes, burns and other skin irritations (such as eczema) to help heal the wound and decrease chances of scarring.
Tooth paste: create paste for natural teeth cleaner (it is also said to help against tooth aches)
Detox: Mix a few tablespoons of the clay in a glass of water before going to sleep. In the morning, the larger clay particles will have sunken to the bottom and the fine-particle clay water above is what you drink. Do this for a week to flush toxins in the colon and intestines or before traveling to a country where water and food is known to cause gastro-intestinal disturbances.
Digestion: Maintains balanced digestive system. Colon cleanser. And verify with your Dr. before use, but Argile vert is known to help against stomach ulcers and complications associated with Crohns disease.
Immune System: Clay is highly charged with minerals and vitamins. Known to boost immune system by removing toxins.