Bentonite clay's proven ability to soak up sebum and provide gentle exfoliation helps your pores as well. Although it isn't possible to shrink pores, cleaning pores out can make them look smaller.
White Clay: White clay works well with all skin types—especially mature skin. “White clay draws out excess oils and dirt,” she says. “It's a gentle exfoliant that refines the surface of the skin and works to reduce pore size.” To note: Kaolin clay is a type of white clay.
Exfoliate Regularly
Exfoliation is important for minimizing pores, especially on acne-prone skin, by removing dead cells and reducing bacteria buildup. Exfoliating products with ingredients like glycolic, salicylic, and azelaic acids can help clear pores and reduce inflammation.
Bentonite clay's ability to draw out pore-clogging dirt and debris and may also help congested skin appear cleansed and refreshed. As such, you'll find bentonite clay in skincare formulas specifically aimed at reducing the appearance of pores and blackheads.
In fact, experts have found that some bentonite clay products may contain heavy metals. In 2016, the FDA warned consumers not to use a certain type of bentonite clay due to its high lead levels. Bentonite may also cause side effects when a person uses large amounts.
Some animal studies show bentonite might boost good bacteria in the gut. This may help with taking in nutrients. In humans, bentonite is sometimes used to treat occasional or ongoing diarrhea. One study showed bentonite helped with constipation from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Absorbency: Kaolin clay is milder than bentonite clay, perfect for sensitive and dry skin types. Its gentle nature lets it absorb excess oil and impurities without overly drying the skin. Bentonite clay, on the other hand, is highly absorbent and better suited for oily and acne-prone skin.
Temporarily Reduces the Appearance of Pores
Because bentonite clay literally acts like a pore vacuum, basically emptying pores of their contents. When pores are super clean and free of any excess sebum, they tend to look really, really small—that's why clay masks seem to instantly 'shrink' pores.
Blackhead treatment and removal
One such ingredient is salicylic acid. This gentle exfoliating ingredient helps dissolve the excess oil and skin cells that cause clogged pores in the first place. Salicylic acid can be found in a range of products such as face washes, toners, and other acne treatments.
Bentonite clay is a natural tooth polisher - Bentonite is a very fine powder that polishes enamel without being harmfully abrasive. The particles gently polish the teeth which is what leaves them feeling super clean.
It's not possible to close up pores completely but there are ways to reduce their size or make them less visible. This includes: washing the face twice a day to wash away oil and dirt from the pores. using an oil-free moisturizer to prevent the pores from becoming clogged with oil.
Bentonite clay reduces inflammation and tightens the skin, minimizing the appearance of pores as well as wrinkles.
The tough part about reducing large pores is that it can take time to see results. Truly improving the look of big pores (not just temporarily making them less visible) can take weeks of treatments. The key is to keep at it!
This can be a great quick, temporary "fix" for super-oily skin types—think: making your pores look a little tighter before a big event—but it's not going to magically unclog all of your pores or eradicate acne, especially since it's only hangin' out on your face for ten-ish minutes.
Deep blackheads should be removed by a medical professional — usually a dermatologist or medical aesthetician. They use a small tool with rigid metal loops on the ends (blackhead or comedo extractor) to apply even pressure to your blackheads.
If a person squeezes or 'extracts' a sebaceous filament, a white or yellow worm-like structure may ooze out. Or, the filament may not produce anything. Trying to extract sebaceous filaments can injure the skin and cause scarring. It can also damage and stretch the pore, making it appear bigger.
Cleansers that combine both benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are very effective at treating blackheads, says Burke. Lactic acid: Lactic acid is an exfoliant that helps break up dead skin cells and unclog pores, says Spey.
If you clay face masks with ingredients designed to exfoliate and slough off dead skin cells or brighten your complexion, leaving them on overnight can cause over-exfoliation. Your skin health deteriorates – it starts to look dull and lifeless.
Warm water opens pores, while cold water shrinks them. Whether your skin will benefit from one action or the other really depends on your skin type. If you have chronically dry skin, warm or hot water may end up stripping the skin of too much of its natural oils, making it difficult for it to stay hydrated and plump.
Bentonite clay and its derivates can have highly harmful germs and heavy metals like lead, arsenic, and mercury. You must contact your doctor before you take bentonite clay or any supplement orally, especially if you're pregnant or take other medications.
It's also sometimes used to soothe dermatitis and even diaper rash, adds Jeffy. May have some anti-aging effects: To be fair, this isn't bentonite's claim to fame. However, "the minerals found in this clay may help protect the skin from UV-induced free radical damage that contributes to an aged appearance," says Jeffy.
Pink clay, like kaolin, is rich in silica. This makes both types of clay the best clay for mature skin. The silica helps to boost collagen production in the skin, making it more elastic and supple. Skin cell renewal is supported too.