Problems you can treat with medicinal clay

The application of clay to treat certain health problems has a thousand-year history. Naturopathic medicine maintains this effective and simple practice that anyone can do at home.

You will find the clay in herbalists. Work it on a clay, ceramic, wood or glass container, not metal or plastic.

Add pure water and let stand; if it’s too light, add more clay powder. The paste should remain consistent but moldable, that you can easily make a ball out of it.

You can prepare for several days and put it in the sun and air, but covering it to protect it from impurities. The application temperature can be cold or hot.

Health problems that you can treat with therapeutic clay

Asthma and bronchitis: apply the hot clay (it does not have to bother) and not very thick on the chest.Lumbar pain, dorsal pain and renal colic: prepare it thick and hot, and spread it widely over the painful area. Separate the application from meals at least 15 minutes.Bloating, flatulence and liver problems: thick, at room temperature. Spread it generously on the stomach. Do not apply it after eating.Headache: Close your eyes and cover your ears before putting a poultice on the back of your neck or forehead. On the neck it is also useful for insomnia.

To treat skin conditions with clay, you can read Diana Burillo’s article: 7 uses for white clay you didn’t know about.

How is the clay applied?

There are different ways to use medicinal clay.

Poultices: with a wooden spatula or by hand spread the clay on a piece of linen or cotton cloth (It can be a handkerchief, a napkin…) until a thickness of between 5 mm and 2 cm is achieved. Apply it on the skin of the affected area. Where there is hair or wounds, you can put a gauze between the skin and the clay, which will help to remove it. Then, fix with a bandage or cover with wool or flannel.Compresses: prepare one clear clayey water, Dip a cloth in it, drain a little and apply to the skin, directly or interspersed with gauze. Cover the area with a wool or flannel cloth.wrappers: follow the same procedure: moisten the wrapper, drain and put in contact with the arm, leg, trunk or whole body. Wrap up warm and get into bed during the application.Masks: you can mix with fruit juice, brewer’s yeast, etc. and apply it in case of dermatological problems such as acne or oily skin.Powdered: apply the powdered clay on scratches, irritations, ulcers, wet eczema, in the massage or for friction.

How are clay poultices used?

Applications can last between an hour (if it is hot, until the heat is lost), and three or four hours, even eight hours, that is, all night.

In abscesses and purulent eruptions, it is applied every half hour or every hour, for as long as necessary. In traumas, it is left for between 1 hour and 3 hours, and repeated. In large applications, between 2 and 4 hours, once a day. Treatment can last from days to months.

What do I do if there is a reaction?

If when applying the clay on the skin you present an uncomfortable or unpleasant reaction, remove it immediately.

Where do I throw it once used?

Once used, throw away the clay, do not reuse it, as it contains body toxins. It is important that you remove it well and throw it away to organic waste. Do not take it off directly in the shower or sink, as you can clog them.