 |
 | ||
|
| back to other health related issues | THE HEALING EARTH by Ilana Cowan
According to Mr. Dextreit, clay has been used for thousands of years either in local applications such as poultices, compresses, washes and rubs or orally. The beneficial effects of clay were well-known then. Now, with the availability of pharmaceutical drugs, it seems that we have forgotten how to use such natural healing substances as clay. We have lost the connection. Occasionally we might read that people in Africa ate clay to combat diarrhea or that aborigines used clay poultices to heal wounds. But we ourselves no longer know how to use clay. In France, for example, it is quite common to undergo 'a clay cure' once a year, or every season. This cure consists of taking French green clay (known as French Chalk in the 'olden days') internally for a period of three weeks. French people believe this cure acts as a natural detoxifying and revitalizing process for the body. Rosemarie Ypma in her little book entitled Aroma & Clay Therapy offers a first aid section based on the internal and external use of clay combined with pure essential oils to treat both people and animals. I came across the concept of using clay for health and beauty when Mr. Helmut Bachman, an Austrian naturopath, gave a workshop in Crystal Waters Permaculture Village in 1996. After attending Helmut's workshop I became an adept of clay therapy and started manufacturing my range of clay body care cosmetics. Such simplicity and efficiency! We learned that clay is naturally healing, absorbent, stimulating and that it activates the immune functions. It re-balances the organism in strengthening the assimilation functions. "Clays contain magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, phosporous, zinc aluminium, silicon, copper, selenium, cobalt, molybdene. The different colours in clay are due to the variation in mineral compounds. Green clay owes its colouration to iron oxides. for cosmetic use, green clay is mostly prescribed for oily and/or acnetic skin condition. Pink clay heals, disinfects and smoothes. It is recommended for dehydrated or delicate epidermis. White and pink clays have softening, moisturizing, purifying, regenerative and remineralizing virtues." 2 There are many different clays available in different locations. White, yellow, pink, red and grey clays. In my body care products I mostly use the French Montmorilonite clays (green, white, red and pink) which are extracted from the silico-aluminium sedimentary rocks of the Parisian Basin. These clays have been through the process of elutriation and are extremely pure and fine. I would however be extremely interested in hearing of Australian clays for health and beauty use. Should you wish to contact the author: Ilana Cowan, 63 Crystal Waters Permaculture Village MS 16 - Maleny, Queensland 4552 Australia, +617-54944 842 1 Our Earth, Our Cure - by Raymond Dextreit, translated from the French by Michel Abeshera. I believe that recently this book has been reprinted under the title of 'Earth Cures'. 2 Information sheets from Alban Muller International The book Skin Saver Remedies by Juta Stepanovs is recommended for further reading. | |||
These days, more and more people in rapidly
growing numbers are aware of the healing properties in food, herbs and water,
but as yet, very few know that the earth itself, receiving its vital energies
from sun, air and waters is a most powerful healing agent of physical
regeneration. Clays, mud, sands - these different forms of earth all
participate in life-giving, health restoring processes. "This is
one of the beginning paragraphs in the introduction of Our Earth, Our Cure. 1,
a 'bible' on the subject of the use of clay for healing by Raymond Dextreit,
France's eminent Natural Healer.