Healthy Family
The #1 item in my natural first aid kit is one that I had never even heard of a few years ago–bentonite clay.
In a nutshell, bentonite clay heals by pulling out toxins. I’ve been using the Redmond Clay brand for going on two years now, and it’s always my first line of defense for a variety of skin conditions and digestive ailments as well.
You can use powdered bentonite clay, but I like to use the Redmond Facial Mud clay that is already hydrated.
According to the Redmond company website:
“Redmond Clay is a completely natural bentonite clay, extracted from the earth and brought to you in its pure, natural state….At a molecular level, Redmond has a negative electrical charge, attracting positively charged toxins. The formation of bentonite resembles tiny business card shapes, with negatively charged wide surfaces and positively charged edges, providing a surprisingly high surface area and powerful drawing effect. As most toxins are positively charged, clay naturally rids the body of toxins as it pulls and holds the toxins into its core.“
Redmond likes to call their bentonite clay the “clay of 1,000 uses.” But today, I’m just addressing 10. 🙂
Check out these ways to use bentonite clay:
image by Hans
1. Cuts/Scrapes
My children play outside a lot during the spring and summer, and, inevitably, one of them will end up with a skinned knee at least once per week. To activate quick healing, we usually wash off the knee with soap and water and then apply a thick layer of Redmond Clay. We then apply a bandage on top.
2. Bruises
We knew it from the time she started crawling: My firstborn is a climber! With all her climbing comes lots of bruises–especially on her legs. We usually ignore the small, painless ones, but we soothe the bigger ones with bentonite clay.
3. Diaper Rashes
The warmer months are the perfect breeding time for diaper rashes. Even during the winter months I will often use clay instead of a diaper cream. It is also cloth diaper safe. I usually apply a thin layer that does not bleed onto the diapers.
image by jstn
4. Sunburns
When I started my natural living journey I was horrified to read the ingredients on the bottle of aloe vera gel I had been using to relieve sunburns. Thankfully, bentonite clay works just as well and removes toxins–instead of adding to them.
5. Plantar/Palmer Warts
The warmer months are also when many people are prone to painful and unsightly plantar (on the soles of feet) or palmer (on the palms of hands) warts. There is an easy and super quick remedy for this: simply apply a thick paste of Redmond Clay to the warts and cover them with a bandage.
6. Bee Stings
Bentonite clay can both remove the toxins from the bee stings and relieve the pain associated with them.
image by maohlin
7. Bug Bites
Oh how I hate mosquitoes–but oh how they love me! Bentonite clay removes the toxins from insect bites, AND it can help remove the itch! When the clay dries, it reminds me of how the calamine lotion my mom used to rub on me as a kid looked. But I definitely prefer the clay.
8. Poison Ivy or Poison Oak
Thankfully, I’ve yet to be inflicted with either, but my father is highly allergic to both poison ivy and poison oak. Bentonite clay can remove the poison!
9. Rashes
Just like babies are more prone to diaper rashes during the warmer months, adults are more likely to get heat rashes and the like. Bentonite clay can bring both healing and soothing to all kinds of rashes.
10. Blisters
Whether it be working in the garden or going on a summer hike, blisters come more easily during the warmer months. Not only can the clay help in the healing process, but Redmond also suggests giving your feet a detox bath! (Now doesn’t that sound good?!)
Where to get Bentonite Clay
The only bentonite I use is Redmond Clay.
I love that I do not have to purchase a separate product for each of these ailments. A little clay will go a long way, so one tube will usually last me a very long time! On top of all of these uses, you can also use the hydrated clay as a facial mask!
You can get the powdered or hydrated Redmond Clay directly from the company website or from Amazon.com.
Heather-Joan Carls
Hi! Oh my goodness! Thanks so very much for this post! I thought bentonite clay was only for my face! lolz 😀 I have the Aztec brand and it works quite well on my face but now after reading your posts I am so glad to see that it has other uses too. Now I will be getting more use out of it. Thanks again! Have a very lovely day 🙂
Hilary
Bentonite clay definitely heals poison ivy rashes … quickly! Last summer it relieved my son’s poison ivy itching in less than an hour, and the rash was gone within a day. I was amazed.
lesa
Thank you ! my hubs gets poison ivy just from the wind blowing over it…….. He will love this 🙂
carol martin
I used the Redmond clay last week when I got a bite which I think was from a spider. my arm started swelling up & getting red , as a former nurse turned holistic,i was certain it was cellulitis. I just kept putting on the redmond clay & covering it. the redness went away overnight. so now I am alternating between the clay & using organic diluted purification oil on it to take out the toxins & taking yl organic oils internally that are natures antibiotics. i am doing well & keeping an eye on it. as 5 yrs ago I got a tick bite & ended up in the er 2x & a thousand dollars later still sick until I discovered yl oils which I understand are like terra oils.
Melodie
I use it in my homemade toothpaste recipe 🙂
BP
Be careful using it as toothpaste if you have mercury or metal fillings in your mouth!! Not advised to let bentonite clay come into contact with any metal
Allison
The Redmond First Aid is the only thing I found to ease my daughter and her mosquito bites. The mosquitos are drawn to her. No complaints and no more itching with the Redmond First Aid.
I was just thinking about getting the clay and keeping jars of it in the house. Have you ever done that? I think it will be more cost effective. Do you know if there is a shelf life on it when you mix it yourself?
Thanks.
Joy A
I got a big pail of it and keep it around and hydrate as needed. Sometimes just by itself, sometimes mixed in with a salve, sometimes in a toothpaste. I also use the powder as baby powder when my LO’s bum shows signs of redness.
Anna
What ratio do you use to re-hydrate it? I have a bag of clay that I use to make soap…. I’m trying to find other uses as well. My son is covered in bites.
Becca
I used Bentonite Clay to soothe eczema. I did not realize it would be so helpful with bug bites. Does any one know if it would be appropriate to use on a tick bite? My niece had a tick with the head still in and nothing would draw it out. Now I’m curious if the Bentonite Clay would have drawn out the possible Lyme in the tick?
Nancy
I have used Bentonite clay by “Sonne” for many years internally for any digestive illness whether virus or food poisoning. It works its magic every time by attracting the toxins in the gut and getting them out quickly. If someone is vomiting you can use it after each episode until it is over with. It needs to be shaken before using and chased with water to wash it down. I even used on my kids when they were babies in an appropriate sized dose of course. An essential part of my home remedy kit.
Cait
Wow so I have a jar of powdered Aztec Bentonite clay. Can powdered clay be used the same way?
I have used it in my toothpaste and also as a facial…mixed with apple cider vinegar. Curious if I can just mix up a jar of it and have it on hand for things like the list above? I loved to have it around for my kids cuts!
Karen
If you take clay internally it must be labeled for such use. It’s my understanding that “Aztec healing clay” is good for external uses only, at least the jar I have. I use “Living Clay” both internally and externally. I used it recently to ward off a stomach bug our family was exposed to. At the first sign of nausea I took 1 tsp in water, felt better immediately, and never got sick. Same for the rest of the family. This has consistly been the case. ½ tsp for a 5 year old btw.
If you get the clay in before the vomiting starts it seems to stop the illness dead in its tracks. Just make sure you use a clay that is safe to be ingested. Not all of them are. 🙂
Heather-Joan Carls
So I wonder if this clay can be used for other things besides internal problems and skin problems. Do you think it might be able to be used as a paste and applied to areas of the body that are in pain??? I was just wondering, might be a longshot. I really don’t know much about the clay so this could really be an ascine thought. 🙂
Cathy
I’ve used it on burns and it works great!
Becky
EytonsEarth.com, Jason Eaton’s web page, is likely THE most authoritative site on the web about using clays. Jason also sells it.
I use it internally–makes a stable mineral foundation for me and I use it externally, often as the above article mentions. 1/4 cup in a couple of gallons of hot water took away (completely, never to return–in 3 years) gout in my big toe joint! I could watch the redness and swelling just melt away.
Sarai
I use clay deodorant… Love it!!
Carolyn mcilwain
I like a diluted mixture of clay with vitamin c in the summer as a nite time mask
Fruit fresh is the vitamin c i use
April
I am trying to place an order but can’t seem to get the promo code to work.
beth
I use bentonite clay in my deodorant powder, my daughter’s bath water to help with itchy eczema, on bug bites and cuts and scrapes. I always have some on hand but I use the powder and hydrate as needed, usually with Apple cider vinegar because it mixes smoother than with water. My whole family loves it!
Steph @ MomKaboodle
I have the powdered clay (they didn’t have the hydrated one in the store the day that I went) ~ I’ve tried ingesting it, but it was pretty horrid (I’m guessing that I didn’t do it right, either). The reason that we bought it was because one of my kiddos had a splinter stuck in their hand that they wouldn’t let us remove. We slapped some of the clay mixture under a band-aid, and it helped ease it out.
I’m so excited to hear that it works for poison ivy and sunburns, too. My husband is severely allergic to poison ivy and gets it ALL. OF. THE. TIME!
Shari
Steph and any others who have allergies to Poison Oak,
I too have/had severe reactions to even poison oak blowing in the wind, the last time I caught it riding in a bus with the windows down, within 3 hours I was in the hospital with tubes running down my throat, I was there that time for 2 months. The doctor that saved my life was doing research in how the adrenal glands reacted with poison oak. Basically after I recovered I have remained on an adrenal gland supplement and a B-Complex regime. It has been over 10 years since I have had any problems. Oh I also would highly recommend extract of Black Walnut.
clay mask
This blog was… how do you say it? Relevant!! Finally I’ve found something that helped me.
Cheers!
Hannah
I have a big bag if frontier powder benzonite clay, but I’m not sure how to use it. Does anyone have any suggestions on how to use it it hydrate it.
Lo
Most common reccomendation is to mix with apple cider vinegar or water to hydrate into a paste!
Lori
how long does it take for a wart to go away? I noticed one on my daughters knee.
Nichole
Wondering if you know how to hydrate the dried kind? I bought a big thing of it to make toothpaste (which I hated) and now I don’t know what to do with it all- hate for it to go to waste… TIA!
Lo
Most common reccomendation is to mix with apple cider vinegar or water to hydrate into a paste!
reece
1 part powder to 3 parts water
I make a small amount & store it in refrigerator.
1T powder & 3T water
Jami
Hi. What are your thoughts on the lead that is naturally found in the clay?
TJE
I use Bentonite clay in my homeade toothpaste, mouthwash, to detox my arm pits, as a face mask and I drink it everyday with water, a drop of trace minerals and essential oil. As needed I use for bites and rashes. I LOVE this stuff!!!!
Erin
It is truly amazing, isn’t it?!
Heather Lewis
Sounds like benonite clay is a great thing to have in the cubboard. I’ve used it in clay masks for years, but I have no idea about these other uses. Thanks for the great article!