What is Ghassoul?
Well, let me quote the wikipedia page:
"
The rhassoul or ghassoul is a natural mineral clay mined in the Atlas Mountains of Morocco since the eighth century. It is combined with water to clean the body and has been used by Moroccan women for centuries to care for their skin and hair. Rhassoul contains silica, iron, magnesium, potassium, sodium, lithium, and trace elements.
Today, rhassoul is used in Turkish baths. Along with a glove, or "kessa", Rhassoul is used as a facial mask and poultice to the body. It is similar to a western style mud wrap. It is intended to soften the skin, reduce sebum secretion, regenerate the skin by removing dead cells, and rebalance the skin by tightening the pores.
"
Certainly sounds good to me! Here's what it looks like:
Shards of clay. They're quite hard to break.
Testing the mask
Some of the instructions of how to use the ghassoul on hair have rubbed off of the paper bag. Luckily the instructions for usage on skin are intact. They say to mix it with lukewarm water to make a paste and apply this to damp skin. Let it dry for 10 to 15 minutes and rinse it off.
I tried to make a paste but the clay doesn't dissolve easily. So I ended up using too much water, leaving the mask thin and runny. I may use warmer water next time and see if that helps.
So I applied this and followed the instructions. It feels very nice on the skin, far less drying than the green clay I've been using, which is why I suspect that this mask would be suitable for any skin type. After rinsing this off, my skin felt heavenly and looked smooth and glowy! It seems like the ghassoul balances skin rather than drying it.
Definitely a good mask!
Sincerely,
R.
Definitely a good mask!
Sincerely,
R.
