My love affair with Moroccan rhassoul clay began well over a decade ago in, of all places, Morocco and then subsequent trips through Tunisia.  All I can say is if you ever get a chance to go to a bath house and have black soap rubbed all over you, your skin steamed within an inch of its life and have Moroccan rhassoul rubbed over every square inch of your body (and the scrubbed until you think you have no skin left) it is VERY worth the effort.  I got to know bath houses (and the awkwardness replaced by immense freedom and the ultimate body acceptance) living in Korea in the middle of winter with no hot water to speak of in my tiny apartment.  I came to love these bath houses there but had the word “bath house” brought to a whole new level with “hammam” and rhassoul.  This mineral rich clay that had the power to cleanse, exfoliate, and nurture all in one made me feel like nothing less than Queen Cleopatra (less the poisonous asps) and the Ottoman Empresses that came before me.

I have seen this magical ingredient in only a handful of products since those days but the two products that I am featuring are both nothing short of miraculous for the face, neck and decollete.

Steal::

Combine the detoxifying qualities or Moroccan rhassoul clay with milk (rich in natural lactic acid and AHAs), organic oats, and organic rose petals and chamomile and you have a deeply nourishing cleanser that tones the skin while encouraging dead skin cells to slough off revealing clearer more beautiful baby skin underneath.  Marble and Milkweed Rose & Chamomile Cleansing Grains left my skin fresh, dewy, and healthy looking.  It smells divinely decadent, too.  Although you can definitely mix this with water, the real treat is mixing it with their Rose & Chamomile Facial Tonic to create a one-two punch and leave your skin conditioned as well as cleansed all in one.

I found very little was needed to thoroughly cleanse my skin, so that’s a real bonus since most products tend to make me want to use half the jar.  They really pack the highest quality most active ingredients into that jar.

I love the small batch quality of this product as well as the fact that they are hand crafted in New York.  Their amazing wild crafted quality shows through in every lovingly made product and I cannot wait to get much more intimately involved in this company’s products.  It is not only one company to watch but one to buy!!!

Buy now at Marble & Milkweed 

Rose & Chamomile Cleansing Grains $22

Rose & Chamomile Facial Tonic          $24

Splurge::

It seems like every other day I am extolling the virtues of May Lindstrom products.  Her Problem Solver mask is a something I turn to when my hormonally ravaged skin needs a “pick-me-up”.   May Lindstrom’s The Clean Dirt totally blew me away the first time I used it and it never ceases to amaze me.  This powder to paste concoction can leave the faint at heart quaking in their boots due to the “dirt-like” look of product, but once it goes on the skin, it really goes to work to dig deep and get any gunk that would dare to hide in the pores, all the while allowing the exfoliating properties to leave behind “baby bottom” skin.

The salt crystals present in the blend have been likened microdermabrasion treatments with none of the micro tearing or stressing of the skin.  The warming spices (cinnamon and turmeric) combine not only to lift impurities but to allow the skin to begin to heal from the ravages of the day to day onslaught of dirt and pollution.  I can tell you from experience that I use this many mornings now and my skin loves the gentle but thorough exfoliation and the feeling of being nourished deep down!

If you do have more sensitive skin, I would recommend only using it once or twice a week as the rhassoul is much more prevalent in this blend than our “steal” and can leave the skin a little irritated if used too often.  I started out using it every day but,since becoming pregnant, I don’t wear makeup every day so don’t use it on the mornings in which I haven’t done the Oil Cleansing Method the night before.

A little goes a long way with this product, by the way.  Used the way I use it, about 2 to 3 times a week, it will last about 3 months.

Buy now at Spirit Beauty Lounge