Fuller's Earth (Multani mitti) Scrub Bar/Clay Bar/Face Mask

One of the most frequent requests I get is to teach people about how to make a chemical-free soap. What a misnomer is that? "Chemical-free Soap!" A "Soap" can not ever be made without a chemical i.e. Lye aka Caustic Soda. Most Lye is always synthetically produced making that a "chemical".

Of course, everything is a chemical but when we refer to "Chemical-free living" as a sustainable living goal, we are only referring to staying away from synthetic chemicals, prepared in a laboratory, which may be toxic or harmful to us and or to the environment/other beings. Lye is primarily of two types - A sodium-based lye and a potassium-based one. The former results in the formation of a hard soap (like the bars we use) and the latter produces a liquid soap (like the ones used in Body wash/Hand wash). Potassium lye can be produced naturally by using wood ash - as I have never attempted that myself, I won't be going into how to make it here.

Now, I know how difficult it will be to wean oneself off the soap completely - after all, most of us have been using them for bathing and washing our hands right from our early childhood. To suddenly switch that to nothing (i.e. taking bath in just plain, cold water) or to an ubtan (traditional Indian skincare powder) will take some getting used to. While either of these will be the best option, in the interim, just to satisfy our habits and the "craving" for a soap-like bar to use for bathing, here's a tried and tested recipe of a Fuller's Earth Scrub/Clay Bar.

I first came across this recipe on a Facebook event page on permaculture. My curiosity was piqued but it was only a few months later that I got prodded to try making it myself when a friend generously posted a slightly altered recipe in a WhatsApp group. After that, there has been no looking back! Everyone in the household, including my husband, niece, and nephew, swear by the Clay bar. They can't do without it! I am so happy that I have been able to help them all switch to natural personal care at least to some extent - though, my niece is actually using it as a facial beauty mask rather than a bathing bar!!

Anyway, here's the recipe. A word of caution though - as with everything, moderation is advised. Fuller's Earth can be very drying to the skin if used without caution or on already dry skins. If you are following a good diet with sufficient natural oil and drinking the required amount of water in your daily routine, then you can definitely use this clay bar without worry. Otherwise, my advice is to use it once or twice in a week and the other days make do with just plain water or ubtan.

Things Required:
Multani Mitti - About 0.75-1 kg
Swarna Geru powder (if you can't get this, skip it)- 100-200 gm
Coconut/Sesame Oil - 100-200 ml
Turmeric powder - 1 Teaspoon
Edible Camphor (make sure you get it from a reliable soap and not from a local grocer) - 10-20 gm
Ajwain Satva - 10 - 20 gm
Neem leaves - A bunch
Aloe Vera - Gel extracted from 1 big leaf (Please omit if you are making in winter or residing in a cold place; if using this, the soap needs to get dried in 2-3 days max, if that's not possible, don't use this).
Soapnut powder - 100 gm (Optional)
Water - 500 ml (or as required)

How to make:

1. First, take out the neem leaves and boil it in 500 ml water for about 15 mins. Filter and Cool it.

2. Mix the powders of Edible Camphor and Ajwain Satva - they will turn into a liquid. Keep it.

3. In a big bowl, mix all other ingredients including the Multani mitti, Soapnut powder, Turmeric powder (you can use Kasturi Manjal), Aloe Vera gel (pulsed into a flowing gel form which will mix well with the rest of the powders), Swarna Geru powder, and the oil. Mix all the powders together well.

4. Add the Edible Camphor-Ajwain Satva liquid and mix well. (If you can't get either of them, just simply replace that with your favorite essential oil. Do not however use more than 30-50 drops for this recipe or just about enough to get a faint lingering smell. Essential oils must be used with great caution too).

5. Next, add the cooled water little by little and mix the entire thing evenly, without lumps - till you reach the consistency similar to thick chapati dough. Try to minimize the water content so that the bar can get dried quickly.

6. Now, you may shape them any which way you like, using bowls and baking biscuit molds. Don't make it too thick.

7. Spread the shaped "clay bars" on a clean towel and dry in the sun for a day or two followed by shade dring for about 1 week inside the house. Keep an eye on it and make sure it's not catching any fungus or anything. At the first sign of anything like that, you can move it under the sun for a few hours.

8. You can also add other additives like lemon/orange peel powder, and other such natural herbal powders to enhance the smell and goodness of the bar. However, do this only if the bar can get quickly depending on the season.

Once the bars are completely dry, store it in a dry, airtight container for up to 8-12 months and use them one by one. Giving them out as gifts to friends and family is also a wonderful thing to do but first, you use it and try it! Make sure you don't use any more than the above quantity listed for Edible Camphor and Ajwain Satva.

To use the bar, wet it a minute or so before bath, and simply rub all over (skipping any delicate/wounded areas). For the face, you can rub the bar well between your hands till you get a nice wet mixture of the clay (+other things) in your hands - then apply that on your face and let sit for up to 5-10 minutes and then wash off with plain water. You can use this as a regular (once a week or twice) facial routine at home.

Do try it and let me know how it turns out for you!