Survivalist Skincare

Dirt may be one of the most important tools in your bug-out bag.

Ok, I know not everyone here is a survivalist or a prepper. But this blog is for those who want to know some of the most important things you can have and do for yourself in emergency situations, and in life, quite honestly.

I don’t really mean dirt, y’all. I mean clay. I will go over other types of clay in later posts, but Multani Mitti or Fuller’s Earth Clay is today’s focus. This clay goes by both names, so please don’t be confused. They are both the same thing.

Note that this is not the same as bentonite clay, though many sites seem to confuse the two.

Decontamination:

One of the most important uses for FE Clay is to decontaminate from exposure to toxic chemicals. Militaries across the world have been using FE Clay for this purpose (successfully) for as long as soldiers can remember. It has definitely been recorded to decontaminate clothing and skin from a myriad of chemicals.

For clothing and spills- a dusting of FE Clay will quickly absorb and capture chemicals. This can be important so that these chemicals are not breathed into the lungs later. Regular detergent does not do much to decontaminate fabrics. You can also add FE Clay to your washing machine with detergent and it ups the cleanliness of fabrics because it absorbs hydrophobic substances (think oil and fats and some chemicals).

For body- in military survival bags, there is often a “puff bottle” of FE Clay included for soldiers in case of exposure to chemical warfare. The clay can be applied dry, but a more thorough application to skin can be had by making a paste with the clay and water and applying to all affected areas. Let the clay dry and flake off. It has encapsulated the substance and removed it.

Soap and detergents are not to be used at all for chemical exposure. Soaps and Detergents actually drive contaminates further into skin.

Internal decontamination: FE Clay has been used successfully for humans and animals in cases of

• bacterial exposure (think food poisoning)
• fungal exposure (via air, but FE Clay was used in oral doses to mitigate internal buildup of side-toxins the body makes due to fungal exposure)
• chemical poisoning (used mostly for animals and humans who accidentally ate toxic pesticides)

The danger here is that I cannot tell you a dose. In one scientific study, they used a “10% FE Clay to water solution”. That is vague because we do not know if this was by weight or volume, but I suspect it was by weight. I would consume no more than a teaspoon of clay and one MUST drink copious amounts of water afterward to forgo an intestinal blockage.

BENTONITE CLAY is much safer for ingestion for these purposes because of it’s mineral make-up. FE Clay has some components that we would not want to use internally for repeated treatments. Do not use FE internally unless all other options are not present and it is emergency level. Also, lets all seek some information on oral dosage.

Oddly, I can no longer find the information on the internet (as of just this year), but I previously read studies about FE Clay also being used on troops for radiation exposure with great success. This information has been scrubbed.

Sunburn:

A sunburn can be life-threatening for many reasons. Sun poisoning is serious.

Welcome to the fastest remedy you’ve never tried.

FE Clay (as a wet paste) should be applied to all affected areas as soon as possible. It will bring down swelling as the clay cools and sets. In this case, I would not allow the clay to dry completely on the skin. Rinse after 10-15 minutes. But you can leave it on longer if you spray it with water to keep it wet or keep a wet towel over the application.

Many people have reported a complete relief in sunburn after just a couple of hours post-application. People have also been using FE Clay for literally hundreds of years to take down skin coloration after getting a tan that wasn’t a burn at all. There is no scientific study on why FE Clay would decrease melanin like this so immediately, but I can understand why it would work as I use several herbs in my skincare line that take away “age spots” from my clients. There are many natural factors on the earth that do this without lightening the actual skin. They just help skin metabolize *extra* melanin, which is made with sun exposure.

Poison Ivy:

The best course of actions is a quick application of FE Clay paste right after exposure. This has the possibility of forgoing that nasty puss-filled rash that many of us get from poison ivy grazing our skin. NEVER USE SOAP to attempt to wash poison ivy off the skin. Soap makes it worse by getting the Urishiol deeper into the skin.

You have just 1-2 hours to remove the invisible toxin off the skin before it has “set” and is destined to cause a reaction.

Even if you didn’t clean the area with FE Clay right away, it will help even after the rash has developed!

Poison Ivy treatment is a fine balance between clay usage to bring inflammation down and detoxify the area, but also use a lot of beneficial oils for the skin like shea butter, avocado oil, argan oil (or literally buy my body butter or SHU Healing Moisturizer). I have been healing up poison ivy for clients for a lot of years and I can tell you that only using things that dry it out (clays, alcohol based creams) will make healing take longer and cause discoloration and possibly scarring

Use clay paste treatments followed by copious application of cold-pressed oils.

Wound/Burn Healing:

Use of clay on wounds has been common practice since ancient times. One study done in today’s age found that burn wounds healed significantly faster with FE Clay in the bandage.

Clays in general do trap bacteria (in the clay structure) and stop biofilm from forming on wounds. This may be the form of action that speeds wound healing.

FE Clay also stimulates new cell production and likely helps the formation and movement of collagen. The body has to literally move collagen from one side of wound to another to form new skin over open wounds. This movement of collagen is why healing wounds start to itch!

Lymphatic Stimulation/Drainage:

FE Clay has a strong pulling action. Perhaps this is why we see that it helps with lymphatic drainage and movement. Stagnant lymph fluid is no good for anyone. I do a weekly all-over clay body mask to detox my system and to help with lymphatic flow.

This is another subject that I had found research on in previous years that I can no longer locate on the internet.

Swelling and Inflammation:

FE Clay is a great soother of all types of inflammation and can even be used in a soak to take swelling down from feet or or areas. Some people have used it as a paste applied around aching joints with great success.

Bug Bites/Stings:

Make a little paste of FE Clay and white willow bark and dot onto bites. They will be gone or rendered unimportant within 30 minutes. Here is the blend that my clients and I use for bites and stings, as an armpit and lower bit wash, and many other things. Pits & Bits Wash

I’m sure I’ve forgotten some of the uses I know and have experience with with Fuller’s Earth Clay. It’s one of my most beloved things that I always have in my cabinet.