How to Make a Cornflower and Clay Cleansing Bar

Even though this looks like some sort of frozen berry yoghurt dessert, it is indeed a face cleansing bar. The outrageously purple color is due to the violet clay I used – even though there is no such thing as violet clay. (It's actually white clay with added color and there's a link to the supplier below).

This bar is VERY soft, so you will definitely want to store it in the fridge. On the other hand, it goes on like a dream, cleanses and moisturizes beautifully, and looks good enough to eat – even while it's on your face.

Here's how I made this bar of 100gr (approx 3,5 oz)

Ingredients list

37 gr (1,3 oz) clay (white, purple or both)
22 gr (0,8 oz) cocoa butter
20 gr (0,7 oz) coconut butter
20 ml (0,6 fl oz) castor oil
20 ml (0,6 fl oz) almond oil
'small handful' dried cornflowers
lavender essential oil (optional)

Step 1:  crush the cornflowers.

I wrapped them in unbleached baking paper and rolled over them a few times with a rolling pin.

The result is a cornflower 'dust' that functions as a gentle exfoliant. (read a bit about the properties of cornflower here).

Not crazy about cornflower? No worries. You can substitute with
lavender.

Not crazy about the exfoliating action?
Then leave all manner of exfoliants out. This bar will still cleanse and moisturize your face and neck beautifully.

Shall we continue?

Step 2: Melt fats 

Melt the cocoa butter over LOW heat.  You only want just enough heat to melt the butter. Cocoa butter has the highest melting point, so as soon as it is melted, remove it from the heat and add the coconut butter. It will be the right temperature to melt the coconut butter without risk of overheating. Add the oils and stir.

Step 3: Add Clays

Add your clay (or clays). I mixed white with the purple clay just for fun (ok, in reality it was because I didn't have enough of the purple stuff).

Stir until you have an even mixture.

Add crushed cornflower (I ended up using less than I had prepared)

Add essential oil now if you so choose. For this bar I added 10 drops of lavender oil.

Step 4: Pour Up

Pour the mixture into a mold and let set overnight in the refrigerator. I sprinkled a bit of the leftover cornflower on top – just for decorative purposes.

To store: cut into single-application sized squares and store wrapped in a paper towel in an airtight bag in the fridge.

To use: moisten face and hands. Soften the bar between hands and apply to face and neck, massaging gently. Rinse thoroughly and finish with skin tonic.

Tip:
If you do use purple clay (or another brightly colored clay), you may need an extra application of skin tonic to remove all traces of color.

Enjoy!

Where to Buy Violet Clay

I bought the violet clay from Aroma Zone. The site is in French, but if you use Google translate, it's pretty easy to find your way around the products and the ordering process.

More Cleansing Bars

Basic Cleansing Bar
French Clay Cleansing Bar
Rose and White Clay Cleansing Bar
Visit the Cleansing Bar FAQ and Tutorial Page 

Comments

Pia said…
Hi Lise
I really enjoyed reading and seeing the HOW TO making the cleansing bar......I've always wondered how you did this....it looks amazing and I bet it's just as amazing as it looks!
Have a great day
Pia
LisaLise said…
Thanks Pia,
Do drop a line and let me know if you give it a whirl!
HIlda said…
Okay, this looks just absolutely gorgeous! I'm goning to have to try this soon.
LisaLise said…
Thanks Hilda! Enjoy!
Unknown said…
Hi Lise,
This just looks like an amazing cleanser and I am falling in love with all of your facial cleansers but THIS ONE!!
I just must make it but I'm in the US and I have not been able to find the violet clay. I have asked around the FB Group pages I am in and still waiting to see if anyone knows where to buy this. Haha, the response is, they all want to know to :)
I assumer you are not in the US but if you know of any US suppliers that you can share I would really appreciate it.

On the flip side, if I find it here in the US I will comment back here with that info.
Thanks,
Juanita
LisaLise said…
Hi Juanita - Thanks for your kind words!
Have you checked out the different clays at cosmeticpigments.com ? They are in the US. :)
https://www.cosmeticpigments.com/search.php?search_query=clay
Unknown said…
Thanks for sharing this vendor with me, I always want to have a good list of vendors to choose from. They don't have a brilliant purple (violet) clay. But most of the colored clays are pigments mixed with kaolin. I will just get a bright, brilliant purple, like their neon purple and mix in with kaolin and make mine own. I'm sure this is far more cost effective then buying it pre-maid as it will take such a tiny amount of pigment and kaolin is very inexpensive.
Thanks for getting my creative mind going :)
Juanita
PS I am in love with your blog and the stuff you make and OMG so glad I found you!! Thank you for sharing, you make the world a better place.
LisaLise said…
Hi Juanita, Thank you so much for your wonderful compliments. I am blushing now! Please do check back and let me know how your cleansing bars turn out. :)
Unknown said…
So Lise,
I just have to share with you that I was not able to find a single vendor of all the ones on my list that sells Violet Clay in the states. I even posted it in some of the FB Groups that I am a member of and no one has heard of it or knows who sells it in the US. Sooooo, looking at the price (after conversion) it is very expensive being that it is just Kaolin clay and Manganese Violet pigment. So I made my own :)
I will be making both of the cleansing bars that I have seen on your blog that call for the violet clay and will post back and let you know how it goes. :)
LisaLise said…
Hi Juanita - Oooh exciting! You made your own! Be aware that added pigment also adds to colouring possibilities - ie: skin, clothes, towels. I look forward to hear how it works out for you!
Unknown said…
Oh yes thank you, didn't think about that but that is what the violet clay. It doesn't come that color from the earth, it is just kaolin with the manganese violet oxide (my mistake - not a pigment). This is how the suppliers make it that you purchase from as well. Let us know if yours stain your skin. I guess I would be ok with that if it were just over the weekend and wore off my Monday :)
LisaLise said…
Hi Juanita - I had to learn about the colour factor the hard way. It probably wont stain your skin as much as your towels and such. I always need to use extra cotton rounds to remove the colour after using one of these bars. It's still not enough of a bother to make me leave the violet clay on the shelf though :)
Unknown said…
Hi there LisaLise,

GREAT site .. love it, love it, love it.

I am trying to make a non-soap, non-foam cleanser (love the coconut/clay / oatmeal combo recipe) but I live in Zambia and Zimbabwe and often without electricity in the heat, so looking for an option that is firmer - if possible?

Or do I simply use the same ingredients but just put them in a container instead?
LisaLise said…
HI Unknown -- putting everything in a jar is absolutely doable and that is probably your easiest option - no need to tweak the formula :)