Sometime in high school, I realized I should start taking better care of my skin. But it wasn't until after I graduated from college that I started using toners, moisturizers, and face masks.
My favorite of all? Face masks. Whether it's a DIY mask made of mashed banana, or a well-reviewed store-bought mask, I'm always excited to try them out.
Anytime there's a popular product on the market, I try to find out more about it.
Recently, one mask has been blowing up on the internet: the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay mask. This 100% bentonite clay product calls itself the "World's Most Powerful Facial" and it has over 8,600 five-star reviews on Amazon. The Indian Healing Clay product description says it offers deep pore cleansing and is totally natural.
And for less than $10, it seems too good to be true — so I decided I needed to test the product for myself. Here's what happened!
What Is Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay?
According to the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay website, people have been using bentonite clay for centuries.
"Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay is bentonite clay from Death Valley, California, where it is sun-dried for up to six months in temperatures that sometimes reach 134 degrees," explains the website.
The product is made of 100% pure bentonite clay, which forms from volcanic ash.
What Are The Indian Healing Clay Benefits?
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay carries a negative electron charge, explains the website. That means that when it's applied to the skin, it forms a negative charge.
Toxins and poisons in the skin have a positive charge — when these come into contact with the Indian Healing Clay, they're pulled out of the skin's surface.
"Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay lifts the pimple and blackheads into the clay bed to cause accelerated healing and nourishment to the skin with over 50 minerals," claims the website.
Thus, the primary benefit of Indian Healing Clay is that it cleans the skin by pulling out dirt and toxins, which allows the skin to heal.
Does It Have Any Side Effects?
The side effect most people experience from this mask is drying and redness of the skin — the redness should disappear within about 30 minutes.
If you have sensitive skin, Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay may be too powerful for your skin.
That being said, it doesn't mean you shouldn't use it — you just shouldn't leave it on your skin for more than 5 to 10 minutes.
How To Use Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
The back of the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay says:
Directions: Mix Clay with equal parts of raw apple cider vinegar and/or water. Use a non-metal bowl and utensil. Stir the mixture well to a smooth paste. Add more Clay or liquid as needed. Apply 1/4 in. to 1/2 in. to the face or other area. Let it dry for 5-10 min. for delicate skin and 15-20 min. for normal skin. You will feel a pulling and tightening sensation. FEEL YOUR FACE PULSATE! Remove clay by washing with warm water.
They recommend using the mask no more than once a week.
Before Using Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay
Before using the Indian Healing Clay mask, I was excited to have my pores deeply cleansed.
I don't have a lot of pimples or acne, but my skin is pretty oily. I constantly feel like my skin is shiny, and by the end of the day I can feel the oil buildup all over my skin.
I was excited to try the mask, and I hoped it would have long-term effects on my oily skin.
Using Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay: First Experience
Since I didn't have any raw apple cider vinegar, I decided to try the mask with water for my first time.
Boy, did I regret that decision.
I mixed together some clay and water and tried to smooth it out with a spoon (I used a metal spoon, since that was all I had, but I used the recommended non-metal bowl).
No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the mixture to become smooth. Eventually I gave up and put the mask onto my face — clumps and all.
After I had the mask on my face, I let it dry and went to watch some television to distract myself.
I could feel the mask starting to dry, and I definitely felt the "pulling and tightening sensation."
A few minutes later, I felt my face pulsating. I hadn't believed that it would really happen, but there was no doubt about it — I could feel my face pulsate!
When I washed off the mask a few minutes later, my face was definitely red, but it felt really clean and tight.
A little while later, the redness went away, but my skin still felt the benefits! Despite the fact that I felt like a disgusting monster while the mask was on, I was pretty happy I'd done it.
Using Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay: Second Experience
The second time I used the mask, a week later, I decided to try the Indian Healing Clay with apple cider vinegar instead of water.
Some friends of mine (and some online reviews) said that apple cider vinegar was much better than water for the mask — and they were definitely right.
As soon as I started mixing the clay and apple cider vinegar, I knew it would be amazing — the mixture immediately started foaming and fizzing.
The mask was so much smoother — I couldn't believe how much better it felt.
I left the mask on a little longer than 15 to 20 minutes because I couldn't feel it working as much as I had with the water mixture.
With the water mask, I could feel my skin tightening and drying out, but the apple cider vinegar mask felt much more subtle.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Before And After
After using the mask twice, I was happy to find that my skin felt significantly better right after removing the mask.
What's more, 24 hours after I used the mask each time, my skin felt much less oily.
The benefits lasted around 48 hours, but by the end of the week my skin was oily again.
Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay: Final Thoughts
Would I recommend this mask to a friend? Absolutely. If any of my friends ask for a face mask recommendation, I will definitely tell them about this mask. It works so well, and it's so inexpensive!
Would I use Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay again? Without a doubt! I still have plenty of clay left in the container, and I can't wait to keep using it once a week!
If you plan to test this out for yourself, make sure to SHARE for anyone else who could try it, too!
