Marl (Healing White Clay)

Definition of Marl

Throughout the world, many cultures use various kinds of clay for hundreds of different maladies. Clay varies in colour from white to gray, green, brown, red and black. Each different colour of clay has different properties and different pH balances, hence they have different uses.

Marl is the specific name which applies to white clay or kaolin clay. Compared to other clays, marl has the highest pH balance. The ideal pH of the human body is between 6.5 and 7.2 and marl exhibits a pH balance of 6.5 – 6.8. This is the most alkaline of all the clays.

Properties, Benefits and Uses

Applying marl to any area of skin and allowing it to dry detoxifies and alkalizes the area. Marl is very beneficial for a myriad of uses. Below is a list of some of the most typical applications along with the general methods of application.

How to Mix Marl: It should be mixed in receptacles made of glass, ceramic, wood or stone. The implements that are used to mix the marl should also be made of similar substances. Do not use metal as it imparts a metallic energy into the mix.

Place dry marl in mixing bowl or jar. Start by adding a small amount of pure water or natural floral water like lavender or rose water. Some instances below recommend specific herbal teas, which will be mentioned at that time.

You can mix just enough for the occasion, or you can mix enough for the week if you are using it on a daily basis. If you mix more then you need at the moment, it is best to keep it in a sealed container so it will not dry out, although unused marl that has dried can easily be remoistened and then used. Marl that is left in a container will settle, simply stir it up again. Never reuse marl which has been applied to the body as it has picked up toxins, oils and other components that should not be reapplied to the skin.

Recycle Used Marl: Used marl from face masks, poultices and packs can be recycled into compost, flower beds and gardens. Any accompanying toxins present in the marl will be regenerated into the soil while adding an alkalizing effect.

Applications for Marl

Acne and Facial Blemishes ~ Marl works wonders on acne as it removes excess oils, alkalizes the pores and removes blackheads. As a daily facial scrub it also improves facial skin tone by stimulating circulation and removing the daily buildup of oils, pollution and cosmetics.

Recommended Application:

Daily ~ Use approx. 1 tbsp. of moistened marl. Spread evenly over face and gently scrub in a soft circular motion covering all areas, especially where acne and blemishes appear. Do this for about 1 minute and rinse off with warm water. Then apply a dab of moistened marl to any existing pimples and let dry until it crumbles off naturally. The soft whiteness left on your skin continues to alkaline even when the bulk of the marl is gone. Leave it on as long as possible, then follow with a natural face cream before going out or retiring.

Weekly ~ Once or twice a week, do a full face mask as described below. This has a fuller drawing effect to remove excess oils, blackheads and alkaline the molecular balance of your skin at cellular levels.

Face Masks ~ approx. 1 tbsp. of marl with just enough liquid to form a smooth paste. Marl of Kohnar has a deep, alkalizing effect when applied as a face mask. The benefits of a full facial mask are:

· removes environmental residues and pollution along with cosmetics which can clog thepores and cells.

· removes excess oils while balancing the pH levels within the cells.

· tightens the overall facial tone restoring vitality and circulation.

· exfoliates old cells which encourages new growth and the removal of fine lines andwrinkles, varicose veins, arthritis, melanomas, etc.

Recommended Application:

On average, full face masks should only be done once every week or two. You may use pure water, rose or lavender water or even pureed vegetable juices (i.e.: cucumber juice or aloe gel. Be wary of any liquid that would colour your skin).

Marl can be applied with your fingers however you will get a more even application if you use a medium firm facial brush about 1” wide. Apply the marl over the face in a thin layer. The texture of the marl should be thin enough to spread smoothly but thick enough to properly cover the skin and hold true. Leave ample room around the eyes and do not put on the eyelids, as dusting will occur as the marl dries. While the marl is drying, relax with your head reclined so particles of marl will not fall into your eyes or all over your home. When thoroughly dried, (approx. 15 – 20 minutes) rinse off with warm water and gently apply you favourite facial crème. Pheylonian Lip to Toe Balm is a wonderful nurturing moisturizer.

Body Mudd Packs ~ Bruises / Inflammation / Pain

Marl has the ability to penetrate and have a balancing effect on sub dermal tissues, muscles, lymph nodes and even bones. When applied to any area exhibiting imbalance, marl will work to balance and neutralize the situation.

Bruises – when applied to bruises, it will draw out much of the colour, the swelling, and most of the pain overnight, along with improving the overall time to completely heal the bruise. Marl should be room temperature on the cool side for this application.

Inflammation and Swelling – If you have injured yourself, say you wrist or ankle and there is swelling and inflammation, the application of a cold marl pack can reduce the swelling and minimize the pain. In this instance, either use very cold water to mix the marl or even better, mix the marl and place it in the fridge or freezer to chill it.

For both of these purposes, it is best applied in a thickness of 1/4” (5 mm) to 1/2” (10 mm). Choose a time to apply when you will be less active. Spoon the marl and spread to the desired thickness. Strap the marl on with gauze or cloth to keep it in place. This is easily done on a wrist, arm, ankle or leg. If you are dealing with an area on the torso, you can tape a gauze patch over the area on top of the marl, or use a tensor bandage completely around the torso to hold it in place. A thin layer of saran wrap or plastic can be applied on top to keep the moisture of the marl away from clothing or sheets.

Marl is excellent for sprains, spasms, liver and kidneys.

Body packs can easily take 3-4 hours to thoroughly dry, so apply them at a time when you can rest or have a nap.

Boils ~ a boil is the bodies way of expelling toxins and marl is a wonderful substance to assist the body. The same application as described for Body packs is excellent for boils. Apply the marl to an area twice the size of the area of the inflammation surrounding the boil. Apply it about ½” thick and let it completely dry before removing. The process can be repeated daily till gone.

Poison Ivy Remedy ~ provides fast relief of itching, pain and blisters. Marl prevents weeping and spreading of poison ivy and poison oak. It also promotes very quick healing. Applying marl instantly stops the itching and if kept in place, it dries up the blisters and stops the swelling. For this purpose we suggest moistening the marl with a tea made of goldenseal, myrrh and yellow dock. Water is acceptable in the absence of tea. Each of these herbs can be purchased at a good herbalist store. Bring to a boil 1 cup of water and add ¼ tsp goldenseal, ¼ tsp myrrh and 1 tsp yellow dock. Simmer for 15 min. with a lid. Let cool and strain into a glass jar. Refrigerate. Use this liquid to moisten the appropriate volume of marl for the area to be covered. Apply to ivy areas and let dry. In difficult areas (joints, hands, etc.) or a large area, it is beneficial to bandage or gauze the Ivy.

Animal Powder ~ for itch, rash and deodorizing. Used dry or wet.

Research Material

There are two excellent books about the various uses and properties of clays. The most informative one for exterior uses of clay is ‘The Healing Power of Clay by Michel Abehsera. The other publication is entitled ‘The Clay Cure: Natural Healing from the Earth‘, by Ran Knishinsky and it is very informative on the reasons for ingesting clay. Yes,,, eating it,,, many cultures all over the world do this and marl is the best types of clay for this because of its adsorptive and absorptive properties. Both of these books are available online (visit: http://www.amazon.com/, or http://www.chapters.com/).

Caution: Do not ingest marl unless you are supervised by a qualified and knowledgeable therapist. It is very powerful,,, and more is not better.

Source of Pheylonian Marl

Marl is harvested by hand from within a private lake in eastern Ontario. As will be stated in the quotes section, marl is a living substance which reflects benefits beyond the sum of its chemical parts, which is very true of our marl. . There is no public access to this lake and simply swimming in these waters leaves your skin soft and silky.

Quotes

Raymond Dextreit: "One of clays peculiarities is based on its physical-chemical domination. From a thermodynamic point of view, we must admit that clay cannot be the sole source of energy of the phenomena it produces. Clay is effective as a dynamic presence far more significantly than a mere consideration of the substances it contains. It is a catalyst rather than an agent itself. This is possible because clay is alive.”

Why Clay Works?

Michel Abehsera: "Clay has a negative electrical attraction for particles that are positively charged. Most of the toxic substances in the human body are positively charged; hence the toxins are immediately drawn toward the clay. The molecular structure of clays is like a credit card with the large wide surface area being negatively charged and the thin edges being positively charged, giving the clay many times more negative than positive pulling power.”

Any naturally occurring maladies to the immune system is generally caused by a super acidic condition,,, and according to Dr. Schwartz,,, an Austrian doctor who did research on the Pheylonian Marl deposit,,, "it is the only mudd left on the planet that actually has a positive and negative charge to each granule,,, and has the most pH balanced alkalizing affect on all acidic environments