Rhassoul Clay Hair Mask & Wash
We've been on a roll lately with recipes for hair products containing botanicals, but this week we're slightly shifting focus to another ingredient that is great for hair: rhassoul clay.
Rhassoul clay is also sometimes referred to as ghassoul clay, which comes from the Arabic word 'ghasl' which means 'wash'. The reddish clay originates in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco, and people in that area have been using rhassoul clay to cleanse for over 1000 years.
Rhassoul clay is a highly mineral-rich, highly absorptive clay. It feels very cleansing when applied and then rinsed off, and is also a natural exfoliant. You can use it on your face as a clay mask, on your body as an exfoliant and cleanser, as well as a shampoo.
While kaolin and bentonite clays are creamy and soft, rhassoul clay is a more grainy, sandy clay. However it is famous for being used as a natural hair shampoo, and I can attest to this from personal experience! It leaves your hair and scalp very clean and soft.
How To Use Rhassoul Clay
You mix rhassoul clay into a paste just like you would any other clay, adding liquid to the clay powder to form a paste. How thick or runny you want the clay paste to be is up to you.
I love mixing rhassoul clay with rose water, and it goes perfectly with a Middle Eastern theme. You could also use any other hydrosols, or just plain water.
You can also add in things like aloe vera liquid, apple cider vinegar, honey, other herbs or even botanical gels such as Irish sea moss gel, hydrolyzed proteins/collagen/keratin, or water soluble actives as as hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, Vitamin C, etc.
How To Make A Rhassoul Clay Hair Mask/Wash
Depending on how much hair you have, 2-5 tablespoons of rhassoul clay;
Mixed with enough water/hydrosol/aloe or herbal infusion to make a runny paste (rose water is a lovely combination with rhassoul clay!)
Mix the clay and liquid until smooth and then add in any other ingredients such as honey, hydrolyzed protein or anything else mentioned above.
Apply to damp hair, massaging in with a focus on the scalp and roots, then working into the strands. Allow to sit for a few minutes, then rinse out in the shower. There is no need for other shampoo as the clay acts as the clarifying agent here.
If there are lots of fancy ingredients in your paste, wrap your hair in a towel and allow it to sit and penetrate for 30 minutes as a mask, then rinse out. There is no need to use shampoo as the clay acts as the clarifying agent.
I do find a rhassoul hair wash to be fairly clarifying, so it would suit those with an oilier hair/scalp type.
About the author:
Juliette van der Meer
BSc, BScH, Adv Dip Cosmetic Science
Cosmetic scientist
