After my last wash session, I knew I had gone too long without clarifying. My hair was curly, but something was just off. It felt dull, lifeless. To clarify, I don’t use anything fancy, but I still don’t use shampoo, which I feel, strips my hair beyond a quick repair. I had an event yesterday and had no room for a hair mishap.

Although, my clarifying routine consists of 2 oz. of my As I Am Coconut Cowash Cleansing Conditioner, two teaspoons of baking soda and water and aloe vera juice, I had been wanting to experiment with bentonite clay since I read about the Maximum Hydration Method. The MHM is not for everyone, me included. It consists of several steps repeated daily for a week. I don’t have that kind of time, but that doesn’t mean I couldn’t try bentonite clay at all. The trouble was getting my hands on it. I had been to countless beauty supply stores in Dallas, including my favorite, Hair and Beauty Supply in Uptown, but no one carried it. Of course, I could get it online, but I didn’t want to pay for shipping since I knew the clay was heavy.

Then I heard the Vitamin Shoppe carried it. On Friday, I excitedly drove over to the one on Lover’s Lane to pick up my first container. Alas, I was met with an empty shelf. The clerk said ever since it was mentioned on Dr. Oz, they can’t keep it in stock. Thanks, Doc! For those unfamiliar with the area, there is a health food store called, Central Market right across the street. CM is a local Texas version of Whole Foods, only slightly better by my standards.

Lo and behold! Central Market got the gold star on this one. Not only did they have the bentonite clay, but they had the 2-lb. jar for $10! After declaring lifelong loyalty to the chain and wondering why I didn’t start there, I ran home to begin my two-day clarifying process that starts with a prepoo. Take a look at my steps:

1. Prepoo overnight. This saturates my hair and scalp with emollients, protecting it from being stripped during the clarifying process.
2. Rinse out prepoo until water is clear. This is easy because I use cocoa powder in my prepoo, which is easy to see once it’s all out because the water runs clear.
3. Apply clarifying mixture that is described above using an applicator bottle. Bag and seal for 45 minutes to an hour.
4. Rinse, apply rinse-out conditioner, comb through and rinse.
5. Step out of the shower and apply bentonite clay. I mixed mine with apple cider vinegar, coconut milk and aloe vera juice, again purchased at Central Market. Application of the clay is similar to your styling process. You shingle and rake the clay through your hair. I found that the coconut milk gave the clay more slip, which I found incredibly helpful. In case it’s unclear, I used coconut milk because both the clay and the aloe have clarifying properties (aloe vera is an astringent), so the coconut milk adds moisture to prevent overdrying.
   

   Bentonite Clay application before and after.

6. Let the clay sit in your hair for about an hour without drying. If your hair starts to dry, then wash it out despite the time. You can bag and seal if you want to keep it in for an extended period. I didn’t do that this time. After the alotted time, rinse out. Do not cleanse.
7. Apply deep conditioner. I bagged and sealed mine for an overnight intense deep conditioning with SheaMoisture’s Intense Hydration Hair Masque. This was my first time using the product and I was happy with the results.
8. Rinse out. Apply rinse-out conditioner and do the final cold rinse.
9. LOC or LCO, whichever is your preference and style as usual.

I am very happy with my final results. My hair was clumped after the rinsing out of the bentonite clay. It was soft, fluffy and well conditioned.

I didn’t experience any of the dryness that some have said was a problem for them after the clay application. Here is what I used:

My final result: My curls are back to feeling soft, fluffy but are also elongated and very defined. I was able to style my hair for the first time without using pins in the front. Yay for the small victories! Here’s how I looked for the event with first-day hair!

What is your clarifying process? What products do you use?