French Green Clay has a unique molecular structure that makes it an exceptional detoxifying ingredient. It draws out toxins, dust, dead skin cells, and other impurities commonly found on the skin. French Green Clay contains a large amount of nourishing minerals, including: Calcium, Potassium, Silicon and Copper. The detoxification properties also help to reduce and eliminate free radicals from the skin. Free radicals are unstable atoms that we are exposed to when we come into contact with toxic substances like smoke, UV rays, and pollution. They can damage cells, and are thought to accelerate aging. 
Bentonite Clay is primarily composed of volcanic ash and the mineral, Montmorrillonite. The presence of ferrous and magnesium ions give Bentonite Clay it's subtle greenish grey color. The feel of dry Bentonite
clay is soft and velvety. When added to water, Bentonite Clay can expand to many times it's dry volume. Bentonite Clay has long been known for its therapeutic abilities. It was called "Ee-Wah-Kee" or "The-Mud-That-Heals" by the Native Americans. Due to its high absorbency, and it's ability to pull oils and toxins from the skin, it is one of the best clays for making poultices. These same abilities make it an excellent ingredient for skin care and spa treatments.
French Green Clay and Bentonite Clay are suitable for use on normal to oily skin types. Due to the intensive properties of these clays, they are not recommended for use on dry or sensitive skin. Even those with oily skin should limit the use of French Green Clay or Bentonite Clay to a maximum of one use per week.
I love Aztec Healing Clay, which is an all natural clay similar to French Green Clay. I have very oily, acne prone skin, so this really helps to draw out all impurities, and leaves my skin very soft.
Thank you so much for this info! I’ve always wondered about the differences in clays.
The Aztec Healing Clay sounds so interesting. I’ll have to see if I can get my hands on some to try it myself.
You are very welcome, Jessica. Please let me know if you have any questions about the different clays. I would love to try and answer them.
Hi Emmy,
I used the french green clay in the French Citrus Bar recipe that you have on the site. The clay turned the soap a great creamy green color and it feels wonderful. I don’t know if you can answer this or not but after making the bar, it began to crystallize on the outside of the soap, after it was packaged. Does that have anything to do with the clay? It was the only soap I made with the clay so I wasn’t sure. Thanks!
–Kris
Congratulations on your first bar of soap! Sometimes melt and pour soaps will form beads of moisture on the surface shortly after they are made. This is partially due to the high glycerin content in the soap. The easiest solution is to wrap your soaps in shrink wrap or plastic wrap as soon as they have cooled completely. This will help to keep the natural humidity in the air from harming your soaps.
when a soap recipe calls for french green clay can i substitute bentonite clay with approximatelythe same results in soap?
French Green Clay and Bentonite Clay are both recommended at around 1 tablespoon per pound in soap (as a general rule) so they should be pretty much interchangeable in recipes. The properties, color, and texture do vary a little, but either should both work well in your soap.
Hello, i would like to make my own clay using French Clay for masker. Can you explain about this clay? is it similar with aztec healing indian mask and bentonite
Hi Marhaba. You can use French Clay similarly to how you would use Aztec (bentonite) clay. They have similar absorbency and are both great choices for oily or acne prone skin, or for occasional deep cleansing on normal skin types. It might be too harsh for dry or sensitive skin. To make a super simple mask, just mix the clay with enough water to form a paste. You can also use another wetting agent, like yogurt or hydrosol in place of water.
Thank you so much for sharing the difference between bentonite clay and French green clay! I have been searching for quite awhile because I have over half a gallon of the green clay on hand and all the DIY body care recipes I found called for bentonite. I really, really appreciate your post and your expertise!
We are happy to help, Esther. Please let us know if we can assist with any other questions!
My question is whether French Green Clay can be taken internally, as a chelator of heavy metals? I’ve read that clays are effective metal chelators and have never seen articles on the effectiveness of French Green Clay used internally as a chelator of heavy metals. I’m hoping you might comment on this and/or provide a link to more information on this tipic.
Hello Lawrence,
From Nature With Love, the owner and operator of this blog, is a cosmeceutical company whose ingredients are intended for use in cosmetics, bath, and body products. We are unable to advise on the ingestion of our products and do not have food grade certification. We are sorry we couldn’t be of further help with your inquiry.