Fuller's Earth (Multani Mitti) Powder for Face & Body

How Your Skin Looks and Feels

Spread thinly as a wet paste, the clay sits close against your skin and takes up excess surface oil, which leaves with the clay when you rinse. Oily skin usually comes out less shiny and more matte and feels cleaner and fresher, and pores can look less noticeable for a while because the shine around them has gone. You usually see it after one mask.

What to Expect

The clay works at the surface: it takes up oil, water and loose residue, and shine returns as your skin makes oil again. Skin can feel tighter and look smoother for a while as the mask sets. A freshly rinsed face often looks fresher and brighter because excess oil and dull residue have gone; that's a fresher look, not a change in skin tone. Using fuller's earth every day covers how often to use it.

Who It Suits

Oily and combination skin are the usual fit; on combination skin, use it on your forehead, nose and chin only. Normal skin needs it less often. Dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin can use a little on an oily patch for 3–5 minutes and moisturise straight after, or choose a non-clay mask such as Aloe Vera Powder. It also suits oily areas of the body, and some people use a thin slurry on oily roots; keep it off dry, coloured or bleached lengths, which it can leave rough.

Before You Start

Patch test 24–48 hours before first use (see Care & Safety). You'll need 1–2 teaspoons of powder for your face, or 2–3 for face and neck, cool or room-temperature water, and a glass, ceramic, wooden or plastic bowl with a non-metallic spoon. Take off makeup and sunscreen first.

The Face Mask

1. Scoop the powder close to the bowl, so you don't breathe in the fine dust, then add the water a little at a time, stirring until the paste is smooth, like thin yoghurt, with no dry lumps.
2. Let it stand 2–3 minutes, then stir again; loosen it with a few drops of water if it has thickened.
3. Spread a thin, even layer on clean skin with your fingertips; slightly damp skin makes it easier. Don't rub it in. Keep it off your eyelids, the skin under your eyes and your lips. On combination skin, cover just your forehead, nose and chin.
4. Leave it 5–10 minutes at most, or 3–5 for dry or reactive skin.
5. Rinse once the mask has begun to set and lose its wet shine, before it turns pale, hard or cracked: wet it with lukewarm water, let it soften for a few seconds, then rinse with your fingertips. Don't scrub dried clay off, and check your hairline, jaw and the sides of your nose.
6. Pat dry and moisturise, while your skin is still slightly damp if you like.
7. Use it once a week to start; oily or combination skin can go up to twice a week if it stays comfortable.

Quick Face Wash

Mix ½–1 teaspoon with 2–3 teaspoons of water to a thin slurry, massage it gently over your face for 30–60 seconds, avoiding your eyes and lips, and rinse straight away, without letting it dry or scrubbing. Use it up to twice a week, not as a daily cleanser.

Body and Oily Roots

Body: spread the same thin paste on oily areas such as the upper back, shoulders or chest, rinse it off before it dries hard, and don't scrub. Oily roots: mix 1–2 tablespoons with water to a thin, pourable slurry, apply it to oily roots and scalp only, not your lengths, leave it 5 minutes and rinse very thoroughly, then condition your lengths if they need it. Skip it on dry, coloured, bleached or fragile hair.

Mixes

Aloe Vera Powder: 1 teaspoon each with 3–4 teaspoons of warm water, rested 5 minutes, then 5–10 minutes on your skin, for a softer paste. Neem Powder: 1 teaspoon each with 3–4 teaspoons of warm water, 5–10 minutes, once a week, for a more herbal mask on oily or combination skin; it's more drying, so skip it on dry or reactive skin. Both: 1 teaspoon of each powder with 4–5 teaspoons of warm water, rested 5 minutes, then 5–10 minutes, once a week. Orange Peel Powder: 1 teaspoon each with 3–4 teaspoons of warm water, rested 5 minutes, then 5–10 minutes, for an occasional, citrus-scented mask on oily areas once your skin is fine with both powders; skip it on dry or reactive skin. Mix each in a non-metallic bowl and rinse it off before it dries hard. More mixes, including besan and yoghurt, are in how to use fuller's earth on your face.

Tips

A fully dried, cracked mask isn't working harder: the clay takes up oil while it's wet and setting. If your skin feels tight, dry or flaky afterwards, use a thinner layer for less time, or use it less often. Skip lemon juice, vinegar, baking soda and undiluted essential oils. Mix only what you'll use and throw away leftovers.

Solum Fullonum (Fuller’s Earth) Powder – 100 %

Warnings

For external use only. Do not eat or drink. Avoid the eyes, the skin under them and the lips: if any gets in your eyes, rinse them straight away with plenty of clean water and don't rub them. Don't apply to broken, sunburned or irritated skin or scalp. Keep out of reach of children. Stop using it if irritation occurs.

How to Patch Test

Patch test 24–48 hours before first use, with the exact mix you plan to use. Put a little on your inner arm or behind your ear, rinse it off after the time you'd leave the mask on, and watch the skin straight away and over the next 24–48 hours. Don't go ahead if the skin burns, swells, blisters or turns red, or if it itches and the itch doesn't settle. Test again whenever you add something new to the mix, such as Aloe Vera Powder, Neem Powder, yoghurt or rose water. A patch test can't rule out a reaction later.

Using It Safely

Rinse the mask off straight away with lukewarm water and don't use that mix again if it burns or stings painfully, or if you see swelling, blisters or a rash; mild coolness or tightness as it sets can happen. Keep the layer thin, keep to 5–10 minutes (3–5 for dry or reactive skin) and rinse before it cracks; never leave it on for an hour or overnight. Use cosmetic-grade fuller's earth on your skin, not one sold for industrial or household jobs. Mix it in a non-metallic bowl, and scoop the powder close to the bowl so you don't breathe in the fine dust. Anything you add brings its own risk of irritation. If an eye still hurts, stays red or your vision is blurred after rinsing, or if blisters or hives appear or spread, see a doctor or pharmacist straight away; if your face, lips or eyes swell, or you have trouble breathing, call 911.

Storage

Keep the pouch sealed in a cool, dry place away from moisture, bathroom steam, heat and direct sunlight, and use a clean, dry spoon. It doesn't need the fridge. Don't put wet powder back in the pouch. It keeps for 2 years from the date of packaging; a mixed paste doesn't keep, so mix it fresh each time and throw away leftovers. Throw the powder away if it has got damp or smells unusual; small differences in shade between batches are normal.