Mud and clay treatments soothe and smooth skin while offering

ud may not be magnificent on the surface, but its
hidden properties have drawn beauty-seekers for
centuries. For example, it’s been said that Egyptians
used muds and clays more than 2,000 years ago to
keep their skin glowing.
Containing an abundance of minerals, nutrients
and additional benefits, these earthly elements are featured in
a variety of spa treatments ranging from detoxifying masks to
luxurious body wraps. These services can entice potential spagoers who are seeking help with skin challenges—or those who
simply long for a relaxing escape.
“Clients are attracted to muds and clays for their healing
benefits. They continue to be popular because they provide
therapy to the skin and also feel good—two important
components to a successful treatment,” says Lisa M.
Crary, owner and CEO of Sanítas Skincare (sanitasskincare.com). “Clients want products that
produce change in their skin, and muds and clays
accomplish that while also providing essential
minerals from the earth.”
Read on to learn more about these
indulgent treatments and what they can
offer to your day spa clients. Whether
they’re drawing out impurities or
soothing skin irritation, muds and
clays provide a relaxing escape
from everyday stress. We’ll also
show you effective strategies
for introducing these
services to your guests.
Mud and clay
treatments
soothe and
smooth skin
while offering
clients ecofriendly benefits.
By Diane Donofrio
Angelucci
Earthly Delights
64 DAYSPA
April 2010
© Royalty Free/Corbis
Reproduced with permission from DAYSPA magazine. © 2010
by Creative Age Publications. All rights reserved.
[Earthly Delights]
Digging Down
Muds and clays can detoxify, absorb excess oil, tone
and soothe, and seal in other products applied to
the skin. “Clay masks are good for someone who has
toxic skin or poor health habits, such as smoking or
eating a lot of fatty fast foods,” says Linda Nelson,
N.D., Ph.D., president of M’lis Company (mlis
.com). “Anyone who has large pores full of pollution, such as blackheads and whiteheads, or anything that’s the result of something internal such as
acne—we use clay to draw out the infection.”
Muds and clays are usually derived from sea, glacial
or volcanic sources, and they often provide similar
benefits. “The primary difference between them is
that they contain various quantities of trace minerals due to their environment and their creation,”
says Wallace Nelson, Ph.D., executive vice
president of M’lis. Therefore, although
Moor mud, which typically comes from Europe
and northern Africa, nourishes and detoxifies with
decomposed plants.
Clays are also popular options for cleansing the
skin and promoting circulation. But because some
varieties are gentler than others, they can also be
used for sensitive skin, according to Shelley Bawiec.
“We can’t make any specific claims about treating
a medical condition, but a lot of traditional uses
of clays and muds can ease some skin problems—
seborrhea, eczema, psoriasis and acne specifically,”
says the director of spa sales and education for Aveda
(aveda.com). For instance, bentonite clay is used to
attract and draw out impurities from the skin.
“Clays are harvested all over the globe,” Wallace
Nelson says. ‘French’ green clay was originally produced only in France, but similar types have been
found in other locations. Other examples include
B. Kamins, Chemist
Bio-Maple Clear Control
Purifying Masque deepcleanses the skin to remove
surface oils and prevent future
breakouts. 888.BKAMINS,
bkamins.com
muds and clays produce basically the
same effects, the distinction is in the types of
minerals and nutrients each contains. Clay is mostly
composed of finely granulated minerals and made flexible when water is added, but it hardens when there’s
none present. It’s also drying to the skin. However,
mud is comprised of a combination of clay with soil,
silt and water. Several varieties contain a large percentage of clay while others have only a little. Some
muds can dry the skin, and others may hydrate.
Benefits do vary depending on the source. Mud
from the Black Sea—which is located just north
of Turkey between Europe and Asia—is more concentrated and darkly pigmented. This means that
it contains high levels of iodine and salt, according
to Sonia Boghosian, international educator for and
CEO of Bio Jouvance (biojouvance.com). These are
used therapeutically to not only detoxify, but also to
smooth and hydrate the skin. “The Brittany Coast
of France is always foggy and cold. The plankton,
seaweed and sea minerals that you find in the mud
coming from that area is different from the Black Sea
or other locations,” Boghosian says. For example,
Indian Fuller’s Earth, which is sourced only in mines
in India, and most bentonite used in the United
States comes from Montana and Wyoming.
Clays detoxify through their ability to remove
substances suspended in liquid. “Many industrial pollutants that can negatively harm your body are held
in the skin and can be removed through the drying
action of the clay. The body has a difficult time
removing those types of toxins on its own,” Wallace
Nelson says. In addition, he says that minerals in
clay hold an ionic charge, which can draw particles
out of the skin.
When muds and clays are used to detoxify, they
dry the treatment area as they extract impurities
and waste products. Therefore, it’s important to
feed and rehydrate the skin after using them,
according to Linda Nelson. “Being a holistic doctor, my whole philosophy is to heal. With the skin,
you need to do externally what you do internally,”
she says. “You need to detoxify, you need to feed
and you need to hydrate.”
Given the absorbent quality of muds and clays, it’s
important to know their compositions. Spas should
story continued on page 69
66 DAYSPA
April 2010
Reproduced with permission from DAYSPA magazine. © 2010 by Creative Age Publications. All rights reserved.
Left: © jupiterimages corporation; facing page: Hannah Ross
Clays are popular options for cleansing
the skin and promoting circulation.
Prana
SpaCeuticals Purifying
Day Lotion, with light
montomorillonite clay and
bentonite, corrects oil imbalances.
It also removes surface impurities,
keeps pores clear and minimizes
acne breakouts. 866.589.2949,
pranaspaceuticals.com
Bio Jouvance
Sea Clay Body Wrap,
which can be used at room
temperature or warmer,
remineralizes, detoxifies,
tones and soothes the
skin. 800.272.1716,
biojouvance.com
Darphin
Purifying Aromatic
Clay Mask absorbs excess
oil with green clay and leaves
the skin moisturized with
aloe vera and essential oils.
866.880.4559,
darphin.com
Exploring
the
Possibilities
The latest mud and clay
products are formulated to
offer a range of skin benefits.
PhyTomer
Thermo-Reducing
Clay, a self-heating product,
features an oxidoreduction
process used in a contouring
treatment series offered by the
company. 800.227.8051,
phytomerusa.com
MenScience
Androceuticals
Facial Cleansing Mask
incorporates clay with
organic Japanese green
tea to purify and revitalize
the skin. 800.608.6367,
menscience.com
DermAware
Healing Powers
Mask is ideal as a postpeel or resurfacing treatment.
Ceramides aid with hydration
while peptides calm and
repair damaged tissue.
888.292.DERM,
dermaware.com
Éminence
Organic Skin Care
Hungarian Herbal Mud
Treatment is fortified with
organic spices to stimulate
the skin. The minerals in
the active Hungarian mud
detoxify. 888.747.6342,
eminenceorganics.com
Matis
Paris Professional
Remineralizing Face Mask
uses kaolin and Moroccan lava
clay to balance levels of vital
minerals in facial skin.
877.MATIS.77,
c3spadistribution.com
sidebar continued
on page 68
[Earthly Delights]
continued from page 67
continued from page 66
Repêchage
Hydra Medic Sea Mud
Perfecting Mask deepcleanses pores and absorbs
oil with mineral-rich sea mud.
This reduces oily shine without
drying and prevents future
breakouts. 800.248.SKIN,
repechage.com
Ÿum Gourmet
Skincare Red Earth
Mineral Masque works on
acneic skin by drawing out
impurities from facial pores, and
enhances tone with pineapple and
papaya enzymes.
877.YUMLINE,
yumskincare.com
RAW Serious
Skin Care for Men Cacti
Mud Mask is a purifying,
hydrating and rejuvenating
treatment with an earthy
essence. It naturally exfoliates,
smoothes and softens the skin.
866.313.7546,
rawmethod.com
Robanda
International PoreRefining Mask helps
absorb impurities and excess
oil, enabling pores to better
hydrate, detoxify and purify.
800.783.9969,
robanda.com
Exploring
the
Possibilities
New Trends and Ingredients
Due to the fact that muds and clays are mined from
the earth, they can be subject to the planet’s misfortunes. “Most of the time, clay isn’t going to be tainted
by pollution or impurities due to its location in deep
underground veins. Any contamination will occur
after mining and during processing,” M’lis’ Wallace
Nelson says. “Pollution is of much greater concern
with muds, as they’re most often harvested on the
surface. Marine varieties, in particular, are easily
SAIAN Dead
Sea Mud provides
the skin with nutrients
straight from the shores of
this mineral-rich body of
water. 800.291.1130,
saian.net
Skin 2 Skin
Care White Tea AntiAging Clay Mask cleans
and gently exfoliates while
removing harmful toxins. It
also diminishes the effects of
acne, eczema and severe
dryness. 877.754.6790,
skin2skincare.com
68 DAYSPA
April 2010
lavender, which calms the skin and has soothing aromatic properties. Along those same lines, Jean Shea
has recently heard of facilities that add wine to muds
and clays for its antioxidant purposes. Given this
possibility, the CEO of Biotone (biotone.com) says
that spas may want to explore adding other healthy
ingredients, such as pomegranate juice.
Skincare manufacturers do the same thing by
combining their mud- and clay-based products
with ingredients that directly tackle specific problems. A blend of kaolin clay, a white variety that
heals and detoxifies, with mineral-rich bentonite
and Redmond clay—which is oil-absorbing and
anti-inflammatory—makes an effective treatment
for blemished skin, according to Sanítas’ Crary.
Such a mixture can also be fortified with salicylic
acid to absorb sebum, diminish acne, tighten pores
and eliminate excess keratin, as well as tea tree oil
(which kills bacteria and promotes healing) and a
blend of medicinal herbs (such as rosemary) to
act as free-radical scavengers.
“ You need to detoxify, you need to
feed and you need to hydrate.”
Sanítas
Skincare Tea Tree
Mask absorbs sebum,
eliminates blemishes and
tightens pores. It’s ideal as a
spot treatment or weekly
mask. 888.855.8425,
sanitas-skincare.com
© istockphoto.com
Yon-Ka
Masque 103, a tripleclay mask, cleanses and
refines the texture of delicate
skin, tightens the pores, and
eliminates excessive fluids
and toxins. 800.533.6276,
yonkausa.com
be careful about the sourcing of these products to
ensure that they don’t contain impurities that can
seep into the skin. “They might also contain some
heavy metals in the form of fine particulates that
could be inhaled,” says Vivian Valenty, Ph.D., founder of VB Cosmetics (vbcosmetics.com). Therefore,
she recommends that estheticians spritz water on
muds or clays to keep them from drying completely.
That way, they can remove any masks or body wraps
without creating airborne dust.
affected by pollutants washing downstream into lakes
and oceans.” Therefore, the areas being developed for
harvesting muds are remote, such as new sources in
South America and Alaska, he says.
He expects to see more manufacturers combining
sources of muds and clays rather than simply relying on one variety. “For example, we’re going to see
more blends of volcanic and glacial or marine clays
to flesh out the profile of all of the nutrients present,” Wallace Nelson says. He adds that there’s a lot
of crossover in the primary action of muds and clays,
so treatments can be specialized by including other
ingredients. “By adding in essential oils, we can then
increase and tailor the services,” he says. “So not
only is the product actually moisturizing the skin as
it’s working, but we’re able to also calm or invigorate
it as well.”
Those oils that are typically mixed with muds and
clays for body treatments include rose oil to hydrate;
orange blossom to detoxify; mint to invigorate; and
Marine algae extracts can also be combined with mud to deliver essential minerals to the
skin that clients may not receive on land, according
to VB Cosmetics’ Valenty. “The modern Western
diet is deficient in magnesium, calcium and zinc,”
she says. “Clay used for spa treatments may contain
one or more of these nutrients, while marine algae is
rich in all of them—as well as iodine, iron, potassium,
phosphorus, zinc, and the trace minerals copper, manganese, boron, selenium, strontium and vanadium.”
Offering Mud and Clay Services
While treatments that incorporate muds and clays
have been around for centuries, there are still multitudes of new ways in which spas can offer them to
clients. These include options that take the current
push toward greener technologies into greater consideration.
“Many spas incorporate clay and mud treatments
with steam showers, Vichy showers and soaking tubs.
Reproduced with permission from DAYSPA magazine. © 2010 by Creative Age Publications. All rights reserved.
April 2010
dayspamagazine.com
69
[Earthly Delights]
Clays are quite conducive to those types
of therapies,” Crary says. “Our customers
indicate an increased use of clay treatments in traditional services such as facials and body wraps, and
they report great results.”
However, Boghosian believes this equipment
isn’t necessary when offering mud and clay treatments. “With today’s technology, as well as the ways
in which the products are refined and mixed with
essential oils or plant extracts, muds and clays can
come off easily with towels,” she says. Therefore, she
explains that these kinds of services, especially those
that use essential oils, can be offered by making a
small investment.
Moreover, Aveda’s Bawiec says she believes that
more day spas in the United States are removing
their hydrotherapy treatment rooms. These services
70 DAYSPA
April 2010
tend to account for a small percentage of their business and consume large amounts of water. For these
facilities, she says that muds and clays can be used
more successfully for limited, targeted treatments,
such as facial, foot or back services.
In a similar way, muds and clays can also be
utilized as add-on treatments for a variety of other
menu options. “A clay mask is something that you
can add on to almost anything you’re doing in the
spa,” Linda Nelson says.
For example, during a reflexology treatment,
a paraffin service on the hands or feet, or a head
massage, a client may enjoy a clay facial mask. Or
an esthetician can provide a mud treatment to the
hands or feet while the client receives another
service. Biotone’s Shea suggests giving away one
of these treatments for free as a way to promote
© istockphoto.com
“Incorporate ingredients that
make your treatments individual.”
smaller mud and clay services.
These treatments also have the
potential to attract male clients,
mostly due to their no-fuss scents
and colors. “Men love clay masks,”
Linda Nelson says. “Their skin usually hasn’t been cared for as well as
women’s has, so clay works well for
them.” In addition, she offers a holistic “facelift” program for clients in
which they receive a series of healing
and cleansing masks that use muds
and clays over several weeks.
Shea also suggests expanding
the treatment concept by creating a
relaxing atmosphere for application
and setting the scene with essential
oils. “Think outside the box when
offering a mud or clay treatment,”
Shea says. “Incorporate ingredients
that make your treatments individual, and expand them to be relaxing
and aromatic as well.”
Some spa facilities have truly
personalized the mud-and-clay experience by making it DIY. Mud bars—
and even mud rooms—are gaining
popularity across North America.
They allow a guest to sample and
sniff the varieties available, select
a concoction that’s customized for
her, and then head for a private area
where she can apply the product on
herself or to a partner as part of a
couple’s treatment. “It’s self-service,
but we provide instruction on applying the muds to the face and body,”
says Victoria Baker, spa director of
SkinSpa (skinspa.com) in Encino,
California. “Afterward, couples
can shower in their cabana, or our
Niagara water room.” Other facilities give clients the option to sit in a
dry sauna or steam room to enhance
the qualities of the treatment. (To
read more about services such as
these, check out Spa Hopping on
page 20.)
Although more than two millennia have passed since Egyptians
pampered their skin with muds and
clays, the popularity of these ancient
beauty agents has endured. Entice
your clients to soothe, heal and
smooth their skin by exploring the
Reproduced with permission from DAYSPA magazine. © 2010 by Creative Age Publications. All rights reserved.
benefits that these treatments offer.
•
Diane Donofrio Angelucci is a
freelance writer based in southern
New Jersey.
April 2010
dayspamagazine.com
71