Natural Spa Supplies Rhassoul Moroccan Clay for zero waste shampoo

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Natural Spa Supplies for zero waste rhassoul clay from Morroco
Here it is! The definitive guide to zero waste shampoo. What’s more it’s natural and doesn’t contain any of the nasties such as SLS or artificial fragrances that can cause skin irritation or sneezing fits.

We were sent some rhassoul Moroccan clay from Sally at Natural Spa Supplies. I had spent a long time talking to Sally on the phone beforehand, so knew the packaging was going to get the zero waste thumbs up from me.

However, I was more pleasantly surprised than even I had anticipated! Not only was the packaging for the clay reusable or recyclable (cardboard tube with two steel end caps and no plastic hiding inside the can when I opened it), but Sally sent me a couple of samples of her argan oil lip balm and a crystal deodorant. Each were wrapped in corrugated cardboard and tied with string! The entire package arrived in a jiffy bag; not one of the ones with plastic bubble wrap, but the ones with shredded paper inside. This means I can reuse or recycle everything once I have finished with it.

Now onto the shampoo. For years we have all be bought up with the idea that lots of suds and foam is a good thing. It’s these bubbles that clean our hair and leave a shine, right?

Wrong! It’s just something we have taken for granted over the years and we now associate without actually thinking about it.

I’ve now been using sally’s Moroccan clay for a month, and I can tell you there is not a bubble in sight. It rhassoul clay in recyclable packagingtakes some getting used to, but I’m not adverse to trying different products on my hair. Over my time I have experimented with eggs, pineapple juice, bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), soapwort and green clay.

With using an all natural product, there are two things you need to get used to:

1- You need to put a bit of effort into making up your product (although you can store hydrated clay and just dilute it to the right consistency)
2- It feels totally different on your hair and skin.

This rhassoul clay, I am informed, found in just one location in the world has been prized since Antiquity for its outstanding ability to cleanse, nourish and condition the skin and hair. Well, I’m going to have me a whole load of that!

To hydrate the clay you mix 100 grams with some warm water to make a thick paste that looks like dog poo (kids love it of course and I’m sure you’ll be able to wash any bath-phobic child if you tell them they’re going to sit in a bath of poo). This becomes the ‘base’ of your product and you can keep this in a glass jar with a lid until you need it. The first thing I noticed when mixing it was how soft my hands were after scraping the clay off the spoon. It was astonishing.

To use as shampoo, you take a couple of teaspoons of the hydrated clay and add more water until you get a shampoo consistency. If you want a shampoo and conditioner in one, you can also add 1/2 teaspoon of a base oil such as jojoba at this point. The first time I used the shampoo, I followed these instructions religiously and ended up with an oil slick on my head. My hair is very fine and can be quite lank, although I thought the ends were dry, hindsight shows me that the shampoo I had been using was, in fact, stripping my hair. My hair isn’t dry at all – interesting lesson!

Since that fateful day when I could have fried eggs on my hair, I have not put any oil into the shampoo apart from one or two drops of essential oil for fragrance. I love rose (this helps to balance my hormones and mood), lemon is uplifting and energising and I use lavender for Little Miss Green to  help her relax and unwind. But I’m sure that if you have thick, frizzy, dry hair a few drops of jojoba would be lovely and tame any wild manes.

I was expecting some kind of ‘detox’, where my hair looked awful for a few days or weeks while it adjusted to its new regime. Happily this was not the case, which amazed me. I once did a ‘no poo’ routine, which is where you allow your hair to start washing itself, and this took about 6 weeks to balance out. In the meantime I became an expert in the art of hats and scarves. So no adjustment time or hair detox was a pleasant bonus which should encourage other people to have a go with this product.

How have I got on over a month? Brilliantly, and far better than I expected. A few years ago I used green clay and that was alright, but not as good as this. Looking back, I expect the green clay was stripping too much oil out of my hair. Once you do that, the scalp compensates by producing MORE oil. This is why with some regular brands of shampoo you need a conditioner afterwards – it puts back the oils that your shampoo has just taken out. Duh! Save yourself the bother and use a more gentle product in the first place!

Mr Green has been using the rhassoul clay as well, which gives the product a really good test. I have lots of fine hair, whereas he has very thick, strong hair and we’re both getting on well with it. In fact, I think his hair looks slightly better than mine. The clay (again without any oil) is making his hair softer and easier to manage. Usually his hair stands upwards, but this is allowing him to get it a bit flatter (believe me, that’s good; he used to give Michael Jackson a run for his money in the 1970’s).

We can each leave our hair for about 5 days before needing to wash it again, which is excellent. Back in my teens I would wash my hair every day and now I know why. My products were stripping my hair, which was making my scalp produce more oil. If you can break that cycle and use more balancing and gentle products you can get out of the ‘I need to wash my hair every day’ idea.

But this isn’t where it stops, dear readers, because you see, Rhassoul clay is a bit of a all-round do-gooder. Once you figure out how to use it, you only need this product in your bathroom. Clay can be used on your skin too and I’m going to let you into a secret. Mr Green once thought that cleansing your skin was a tad girly, but now he’s a reformed man and has started to do it too.

You can use the clay as a cleanser, it acts as a moisturiser as well, removes impurities, exfoliates, deodorises, adds a few great minerals to the skin, is anti-inflammatory, analgesic, and antiseptic and generally gives you a face and hands, to coin a phrase, like a baby’s bottom.

Sally has challenged us to ‘Go prehistoric’ and wash our hair, face and body in clay for a week. I’m up for showing my inner cave girl a good time, so I’ll let you know how we get on……

About the Author ()

I am a long time supporter of the Green and Sustainable lifestyle. After being caught in the Boscastle floods in 2004, our family begun a journey to respect and promote the importance of Earth's fragile ecosystem, that focussed on reducing waste. Inspired by the beauty and resourcefulness of this wonderful planet, I have published numerous magazine articles on green issues and the author of four books.

Comments (33)

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  1. esther says:

    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?

  2. Mrs Green says:

    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.

  3. Lori S says:

    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.

  4. Naomi says:

    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?

  5. Ruth_dt says:

    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.

  6. 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

  7. Mrs Green says:

    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?

  8. Sue says:

    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!!

  9. Mrs Green says:

    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?

  10. Naomi says:

    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!

  11. 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.

  12. 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.

  13. Mrs Green says:

    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.

  14. Ana says:

    Dear Mrs Green
    Thanks to your article I was able to find a natural alternative to wash my hair as normal shampoos make it very itchy (I have dermatitis) and I was losing loads of hair!!

    However I am a bit puzzle on how to use it, I bought mine already powdered, I mixed it with 2 tbs of water and a couple of drops of essential oil, it all seem going really well in the shower, but when my hair dried it was impossible to brush it!! and my hands and comb were very powdery trying to comb through. I am not sure where did I go wrong.

    I would really appreciate some help in this matter.

    Love

    Ana

  15. Mrs Green says:

    Hi Ana, welcome to the site. It sounds like you didn’t add enough water or didn’t rinse the product well enough. Another thing to bear in mind is that you go through a kind of ‘detox’ when you begin using the product and it takes some getting used to. I had the ‘brushing powder from my hair’ effect when using bicarbonate of soda!
    I would suggest adding the water and essential oil as you did. Leaving that for a few minutes to hydrate and then adding MORE water to get a runnier consistency. You want it so that you can work it into your scalp without it running off, but you don’t want it too thick – it will take a bit of experimentation. I find that the consistency of double cream is about right for me.
    The other key is only to work the clay into your scalp, not into your hair. As you rinse your hair, the shafts of your hair will automatically get washed as the product is rinsed away – does that make sense?
    I too found that my hair was more difficult to brush through, initially. The thing with clay is that it doesn’t strip your hair of its natural oils, unlike SLS (or whatever other foaming and cleansing agent) that is used in other brands. It leaves the natural oils in – this can feel SO different to us after using a mainstream shampoo for x amount of years.
    Now don’t be alarmed, but the way I would describe my hair until things evened out (about 3 weeks) was like it is when you stroke a healthy dog. You get a kind of oil on your hand. It’s not unpleasant, but we do tend to associate that feeling with ‘dirty’. It’s not dirty, it’s just that we’ve been used to totally stripping our hair all our lives.

    So, to recap I would give it time – your hair needs to get used to things, and as it does you might go through some kind of ‘crisis!’ and water down the clay more.
    Finally make sure you are rinsing it enough; I find the natural spa clay rinses quickly, but different brands are different. I once used green clay from Neals Yard and that took forever and I STILL seemed to be brushing powder out of my hair.
    Depending on your hair type, you might need a couple of drops of base oil, say jojoba or grapeseed on the ends of your fingers to help you brush through the ends of your hair – if your hair is thick this would be good. If it’s fine like mine then don’t – you’ll end up with an oil slick!

    If this still doesn’t work, it’s worth getting in touch with Sally from Natural Spa supplies; she is very helpful and really knows her products. I’m sure she will come up with more suggestions – she has been very patient with me in order to help me get things just right!

    Good luck! Do let us know how you get on 🙂

  16. Sally says:

    Hi Ana and Mrs Green,

    Like you said Mrs Green, sometimes it is better to water the mix down so it is more like a yogurt or milkshake and just to massage the clay into the scalp, rather than rub it in the hair.

    I have found really excellent results when I comb the rhassoul down the length of the hair during the wash. I start by combing my hair before I wash it, then once I’ve put the clay on, and massaged my scalp, comb it down the shaft. You can also comb if you like as you rinse to assure a really thorough rinse. I have normal hair, and I’m not using any oil. The effect of the combing (admittedly I do have a really amazing horn comb)is to clean every strand of hair, it leaves the hair tangle free, and really slick and shiny. Any frizzyness has gone. I looks and feel more like my hair did when I was in my twenties. Probably great news for people considering buying a straightening iron! The hair is very easy to comb afterwards and I use quite a fine toothed comb. You can find these instructions on
    http://naturalspasupplies.co.uk/?page_id=322

    Ana, why don’t you try this combing method, and let us know how you get on?

  17. Ana says:

    Hello Sally and Mrs Green
    Thank you so much for your quick reply!!
    Your tips were very helpful, I particularly like your ideas on rubbing the clay only on the scalp, not on the hair and brush it through in the shower with plenty water, I think this is what’s going to work for me.
    Today its my second day after washing it with Rhassoul and its a lot better than yesterday, no powdery and no so much static, but its still a little static, so I will also use the oil as recommended by you and carry on trying because my scalp didn’t itch at all as it normally does when I’ve used normal shampoos. I must also say that for the last 3 months I have tried Shikakai powder (from India) and although completely natural, it didn’t work for me as my hair was really dirty the next day even after passing the “detox” period, so 3 months later my hair was still dirty the next day after washing it with Shikakai.
    If you want to know more about how the clay compares to Shikakai, I can keep you informed!!
    Again, thanks a lot.
    Ana

  18. Mrs Green says:

    Hi Ana, I’m so pleased that you are seeing improvements already in the way you are using the clay. It can take a little tweaking to get things just right – as with anything in life. I have to say that my hair gets very static with the clay as well. But oil makes my hair greasy as it is so fine. Sally is looking into ordering some natural horn combs (no animals hurt in the process) and I think this might be an answer. Although I use a natural bristle brush I don’t think it really helps me much.
    Do keep coming back and tell us how you get on. It’s great to share experiences because there is always something new for us to learn.

  19. Jasmin says:

    I have used Rhassoul for 6 months now and will NOT go back to a shampoo! And as a pre-conditoner I use a natural hot oil treatment Palm’Hydra that is 100% free of chemicals. Lots of info on outsideinlife blog – where I discovered it all. The Rhassoul I use has even less packaging – brown paper bag! You can google innov import to find it. or visit http://www.innovimport.com/oscommerce/catalog/index.php?cPath=40&osCsid=78007553457d06e953014324a618719b

  20. Mrs Green says:

    @Jasmin: Hi Jasmin, welcome to the site. It’s good to see another fan of rhassoul and how lovely that you can get it in a brown paper bag 🙂
    Can you tell me more about the hot oil treatment; what is a ‘pre-conditioner’?

  21. Jasmin says:

    Hi Mrs. Green! A pre- conditioner is used prior to “shampooing” or in this case “rhassoul-ing”. The Palm Hydra seems to be the only natural hot-oil treatment on the market and it is rich in castor oil (nourishing and the most hydrating veg oil), green clay, and essential oils. I follow the directions: apply to scalp, massage, keep under warm-damp towel 15 minutes and rinse … follow up by a generous rhassoul and you have the nicest hair that any magazine ad would envy! I order it from the same site as my ghassoul. They seem to ship everywhere as my friend in San Diego orders from them also.

  22. Mrs Green says:

    Thank you Jasmin. So the rhassoul is man enough to get rid of all that oil? Amazing! I’ll have a go and see how it turns out. I usually stay away from oil because my hair is fine, so it makes it lank, but perhaps using it BEFORE shampooing could work for me.

  23. Cindy says:

    Well, I had been wondering what else to use as a shampoo instead of the “No Poo” Baking Soda Method.

    All the natural girls that use that stuff also DON’T dye their hair! Stylists have been using a Baking Soda mixture for years to remove dye when they’ve over done it! The PH is wrong, as it opens up the cuticle a lot; hence the loss of hair color.

    It would take some searching to find the PH of these clays, but I’m sure it can be done. I found one post with some info on all the different types of clays….

    I will try this,but am concerned that it too, may strip hair color.

  24. Mrs Green says:

    @Cindy: Hello Cindy, glad you found us and I’m sure I can find out the pH of this clay for you if you want to know. Would you like me to find out for you?

  25. Cindy says:

    Well, I just did a more thorough search myself, and found this out. I copied it from a supplier’s website:

    Because Rhassoul can be used for a variety of professional applications, it is an invaluable enhancement for spa treatments and for personal use. Its extraordinary power of absorption makes it more effective than other clays for cleansing, de-toxification, and general skin treatment.
    It can be used as soap, skin conditioner, shampoo, and facial and body mask.
    As Rhassoul contains higher percentages of silica and magnesium along with potassium and calcium, than other clays, Rhassoul appears to be far more effective. In addition to this, due to its greater smectic qualities, (i.e. its ability to swell with the addition of water) Rhassoul achieves better results in skin treatment.
    The mineral properties of Rhassoul Clay were studied extensively and presented at the 12th meeting of the National Institute of Phytotherapy in Paris in 1985. Rhassoul Clay contains a high percentage of silica, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.
    Rhassoul clay’s most impressive properties in skin improvement are its capacity of absorption and adsorption due to its high level of ion exchange. Clinical studies have been conducted by two different research laboratories in the United States to evaluate Rhassoul use for skin conditions. The results of this single use Rhassoul study produced these findings….

    √ Reduces dryness (79%)
    √ Reduces flakiness (41%)
    √ Improves skin clarity (68%)
    √ Improves skin elasticity / firmness (24%)
    √ Improves skin texture (106%)
    √ Removes surface oil and oil from inside and around comedons
    √ Removes dead skin layers, resulting in a general smoothing of the surface skin
    √ In addition to the oil removal characteristics

    Specifications
    INCI Name: Moroccan Lava Clay
    pH: 6.9 – 7.5
    ————————————————————————————-

    So, then I found out that hair is naturally a 4.5-5.5 PH. Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar has been tested to be 2.85 PH (acidic). So if you’ve used a clay that is around 7PH, and you follow up with an Apple Cider Rinse of around 3PH, then you might come very close to leveling out in the desired 5PH range..
    _______________________________________________________
    A web site called Silver Medicine, says this: ACV works excellent with a good healing grade clay. ACV can be mixed with the clay, and/or used after. Most therapeutic clays are alkaline, and draw impurities out from deep within the skin. The skin itself often suffers greatly due to imbalances in the body’s electrolytes caused by poor diet, poor digestion, and especially the many chemicals and poor water sources that the body must deal with.

    For indiviudals with skin imbalances, the deep cleansing action of a healing-grade clay can temporarily cause the face or hands to dry out. ACV acts to restore the vital state of the skin immediately.
    —————————————————————————————

    So anyway, it does sound wonderful. May strip my color still, but I’ve got to use something more natural.

  26. Sally says:

    Dear Cindy,
    hey very good research! I have got pH meter here and I was going to test the clay with rain water. However I have been using the clay with my hard tap water and it always works great for me.
    I dye my hair with Moroccan henna which has a much higher dye content than Indian henna and gives a darker colour with very little fading. I used to use Indian henna, but it tends to go a rather frightful orange as it fades and I am much happier with the Moroccan form. Also when I checked the ingredients of an Indian henna I had been using for about ten years I found a chemical additive. Yuk! The Moroccan henna (pure) covers up my 50% grey but I need to dye it fairly often – about once a month to prevent a grey stripe appearing along my parting. I wash my hair about every 5-7 days and I’ve never noticed any fading. The clay does not seem to affect the henna at all. There are lots of plant dyes out there and I assume the clay would leave them more or less intact but haven’t been able to test them myself.

    If you are already using artificial dyes, then the best time to test it is just before you dye it again, as the clay will remove any build up. From having tried the clay on people who use artificial dyes it does lighten it one shade, but then that was using tap water. Maybe I should try it again with the apple cider vinegar to see whether the artificial dye can be fully retained.

    Another way of testing the henna or I suppose any other natural dye is to try it on hair harvested from a hairbrush or comb, then you can see how the colour will turn out. I assume that this test could be taken further by dying the harvested hair with what ever hair dye you use and then washing it with rhassoul and see what happens.

  27. Cindy says:

    Well, I’m trying so hard to simplify my life that I’m seriously considering letting my gray grow out! Easy to say right now since I don’t have any gray showing at the moment. Whenever I do have gray show….I always think I look “dirty”. Found this website and it’s making me really want to do it: http://www.goinggraylookinggreat.com/

    Thanks for all the info! I’m about to order my Rhassoul very soon!

  28. Mrs Green says:

    @Cindy: I love that website, Cindy; it’s very inspiring and some of the women on there look absolutely beautiful. I’m not covering mine, but I’m only in the early stages 😉

  29. Dear Mrs Green, I was really happy to find your post about Rhassoul clay and hear that I’m not the only fine-haired gal to suffer the static effect! I really love my hair after a clay wash, it leaves hair full of volume, a tad lighter and much more manageable. Until the static kicks in. I have tried to mix the rhassoul-water-gel with oil, use conditioner on the ends, rinse with ACV, aloe vera gel as leave-in, dryer sheets (this was recommended in several pages), wooden and horn combs. Nothing works. Except hairspray, which I’m trying to ween myself out of, or wearing hair up all the time. It has been a while since the last comments, but I was just wondering whether you might have found a solution to this paricular problem? Would be very grateful to hear any tips!

  30. Hayley says:

    Hi There, how does using clay Impact coloured hair, will it strip colour out?

    • Mrs Green says:

      Hey Hayley; I’m confident it wouldn’t alter or strip hair colour, but if you’re concerned, check with Sally at Natural Spa Supplies – she’d be more than happy to advise you 🙂

  31. April says:

    I’m also wondering about rasshoul clays affect on colored hair? I get mine dyed at a salon with Organic Color Systems brand, so it’s not quite as harmful as normal, but it doesn’t last as long between treatments as traditional color.
    I have tried so many different no poo methods and can’t find one that works yet, so I’d so appreciate any info regarding this so I can try the clay… Thanks!

    • Mrs Green says:

      Hey Hayley / April; I’m going to ask Sally to join us so you can hear it all from her – she’s the expert 😉 Stay tuned!

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