that’s really interesting…My hair is very, very fine, and I don’t have a lot of it either, anymore, since after my second pregnancy, I lost lot and never got it back…do you think this could hemp me get more volume, or is it juste to wash?

Hi Esther, yes I think the clay would add fullness to your hair in time. I’m definitely losing less after using this product.

Sally’s concern was that dh’s hair would become so thick he wouldn’t be able to brush it, but so far so good LOL!

Why not give it a try; I’m not sure if Sally sells a sample size, but really you need to try it for a few weeks to see if it makes any difference.

Wow-you really have tried alot of interesting natural products on your hair. I’ve been using just baking soda mixed with some water, as that makes my hair very easy to comb through, & it’s cheap! The clay does sound interesting, though. I wonder about the environmental impact to the area surrounding the clay extraction. Maybe that is explained on the package.

Very interesting! I will check it out. My issue is my hair is very difficult to comb out and the only way I can do it is in the shower with loads of conditioner. Think this will solve this?

Hey Mrs Green,

If the clay is only found in one place in the world, is it sustainable? Won’t it just run out one day?

PS. Still no milk. Dairy Crest are rubbish.

Thank you Mrs Green for putting Rhassoul clay through its paces. It was on using the clay for my hair that I became an instant convert, and I now use the clay for all of my washing.

Also thank you Lori S and Ruth_dt for your questions on sustainability.

On the issue of sustainability: Having visited the Rhassoul mine, it is clear that the clay bearing mountains are subject to wind erosion, where the clay is literally blown away. By carefully extracting small quantities, some of the remaining clay can be put to good use. I suppose that even in conventional shampoos, if the chemicals are traced back to their origins, they also were originally extracted from the earth in some way or another.

The rhassoul mines represent one of the oldest mines in continuous usage, with references going back to the Medieval period, although it seems certain that the Berbers were making use of the clay all through prehistory. An ancient village exists near the mines (which are very remote indeed)and so the continuation of this mine is important from to prevent depopulation and to sustain the local traditions and heritage.

The mines has for years had a stable extraction of 12 tonnes per day, which is really very little considering it comes out of the the galleries damp and that the clay mountains extend over 27,000 hectares or 104 square miles. It is important that the level of extraction remains constant so that workers are not laid off - being in such a remote area they need a ‘job for life.’

In recent years, Morocco, partly after being rejected from joining Europe has signed over 100 trade agreements with different countries, but in nearly every case Morocco comes off worse, ending up importing more than it exports. As a consequence the Moroccan market has been flooded with cheap imports of cosmetics, pharmaceuticals etc. Many men (especially) now buy chemical shampoos - lured by the fragrances. They always joke that if they had stayed with Rhassoul they would still have a full head of hair! Really the home market for for Morocco’s traditional products such as Rhassoul is declining, and if these ancient practices are to survive, westerners can assist by supporting and valuing the production of traditional bio products. In order for the mine company to maintain stable production, they need to export 60% of their production. While it would also be lovely use British clay, we don’t have a source of pure ‘montmorillonite’, the official name for Rhassoul. Our montmorillonite clays are all mixed. It is the montmorillonites which are so beneficial for the skin.

On my visit to the mines (definitely not on the tourist route) it was evident, that the mining activity has a very small impact on the surrounding environment. The clay is extracted by hand with a pick-axe, and even in the mountain HQ, there was just one generator to provide electricity for communication with the outside world. I asked the mine foreman if he had considered using solar power and I think that this will happen soon.

If we had not been led right into the mountains we would never have spotted the tiny galleries, which after use get taken over by desert jackals, and probably the odd shepherd when there are sand storms. If you didn’t know the mines were there you would think that you were in a nature reserve. The remaining land is left for the benefit of the wildlife and for rather scant grazing for goat herds.

As you can see, going green, is so involved - sustainability, respecting traditions and heritage and wildlife, the local context and a good understanding of world economics. It’s a fine balancing act. The final thing to consider is the end use. When rhassoul is washed away, it biodegrades and does not harm aquatic life, nor end up contaminating our drinking water with chemicals.

I hope that you both give rhassoul clay a try!

My best wishes,

Sally

Sally, thank you for coming here and explaining things in detail about the sustainability issue.
Naomi - I’ve found since using clay that this is the only time I can get a brush through my hair after washing. Like you, I’ve never been able to achieve this without conditioner. Now I can! I’m not saying it’s easy, but it is possible.
I’ve been using a cider vinegar rinse on some occasions after washing and find this to be even better, so perhaps that would work for you?

I too was concerned about the sustainability of using a rare clay. Still not convinced that it is the right thing to do using it! There are so many issues around this, it is tradition to burn peat in Ireland, yet the use of peat as a fuel or compost detroys a valuable habitat, palaeoclimatological record, Co2 sink and is unsustainable. The natives of the Amazon rainforest need income, they are deforesting, this is harmful to nature, and is not sustainable.
We mine for coal, it is a tradition in some areas, is that sustainable?
Although I found this on wikipedia “Montmorillonite was discovered in 1847 in Montmorillon in the Vienne prefecture of France, but is found in many locations world wide and known by other names”
They have fine flaxy particles so feel soft, they are related to bentonites, have a large surface area, therefore very absorbant and swell (bentonites used in long term storage of nuclear waste due to it’s properties where any leakage,it is hopped, will be absorbed and bind to the bentonite).
Still undecided!!!
I too have tried a few natural hair products, also tried vinegar and lemon juice!
Oh and green clay is another name for montmorillonites! Fullers Earth is a similar thing, used in cat litter!
All our products come from somewhere, this is altered basic silica rich volcanic material.
okay, I have waffled a bit, and chances are I have taken too long to write this, so when I hit submit it will freeze anyway, and never get posted, but just a couple of thoughts, and it hasn’t really solved anything for me, I am still unsure!!

Hi Sue,
It’s good to talk through all the possibilities. It highlights for all of us that there is no one answer and there are many sides to the argument of ‘green living’. It’s rare to find something that ticks all the boxes - organic, fair trade, local, seasonal, sustainable ………
Except perhaps for the soapwort we used, which you can grown in your own garden and harvested as needed, but then we found that dried, the soapwort didn’t work as well, so we needed something different throughout the winter months.
What do you use on your hair at the moment?

Since you posted this, I’ve become obesssed with getting some rhassoul Moroccan clay but I’m in the USA. Does Sally ship here? Or can she suggest a reliable source? I just want to be sure to get the same stuff you found so amazing!

Dear Naomi,
no problem. I’m glad that you are so keen to try the clay. In theory you should be able to go onto the website http://www.naturalspasupplies.com and after you have selected the Rhassoul, during the checkout process the correct postage should be calculated. If you select the 500g package, it will cost, then the postage should be something like £6.70. If any thing goes wrong, just e-mail me - there is always a way! Depending on how you use it the package should last you for some considerable time.

Dear Sue,
if you watch this space over the next month or so, you will find that I am starting an experiment to set a new standard of using reduced quantities of rhassoul. I can’t imagine any other vendor doing this as they will end up selling a lot less. However I do really care for the environment. When rhassoul is sold in France, vendors suggest for example that 50g of powder is the correct amount for a face pack. I am trying to experiment with using 15g for washing the entire body and hair, perhaps with 5g reserved for the face! I need to test this on a fair number of people before I can issue ‘reduced usage instructions’ If I can find that much smaller quantities can be used then this will go a long way to both protect this resource and enable more people to use it with a low environmental impact. I am particularly keen for people with skin troubles to use Rhassoul and hopefully find that they no longer need to use steroid and hydrocortizone based creams which end up in the rivers and our drinking water. In these rather unsettled economic times people will only use economical products, and will soon realise that ‘green’ products don’t have to cost a fortune and they can be extremely effective and pleasant to use. I will let you know the results once I have evaluated them.

Sally, thank you for keeping an eye on this thread. It’s great that people can ask questions and you’ll come along and answer them. I have not been using 50g for my face and it’s working out really well! 50g probably does all three of us for a bath or shower, including Mr G’s hair. It will be interesting to see what you come up with as a good amount to use.