Multani Mitti (Fuller's Earth)

[mool-TAH-nee MIT-tee]

What is Multani Mitti?

Multani Mitti is fuller's earth: a naturally occurring absorbent mineral clay, mixed with water into a rinse-off mask that takes up excess surface oil. It is the one powder in the Spierb range that isn't a plant, so there is no botanical name, no plant part and no herb family to look for. The ingredient is Solum Fullonum Clay Powder, 100%, with nothing added.

What is Multani Mitti called in English?

Fuller's earth. The two names mean the same absorbent clay, and you will also see Multani Mati, Fullers Earth and Fuller Earth. The English name comes from fulling, the old trade of cleaning and finishing woollen cloth: the workers were called fullers, and they mixed absorbent earth with water to take grease out of the wool. It is a good way to remember what the clay is for.

What is Multani Mitti powder good for?

An occasional rinse-off clay mask for skin that gets oily. One to two teaspoons with water, a thin layer, five to ten minutes, rinsed before it cracks, once a week. The same powder makes a quick face wash up to twice a week, or a five-minute slurry on oily roots. The method is on how to use Multani Mitti on your face.

Where it comes from

The name points at Multan, the historic city now in Pakistan, and mitti means earth or clay. The name outlived the place: fuller's earth is dug from deposits in many countries, and northwestern Rajasthan is one of India's main ones. Spierb Multani Mitti comes from northwestern Rajasthan, India, dried, finely ground and triple sifted. Genuine Multani Mitti doesn't have to come from Multan.

Fuller's earth also isn't one mineral. It is a broad name for absorbent clays whose mineral balance changes from deposit to deposit, which is why this powder isn't sold as bentonite or montmorillonite, and why a batch can be beige, buff, tan, cream-grey or muted olive without one being stronger than another. Fuller's earth is sold for filtration and industrial absorption too, and those grades aren't meant for the face. The dry powder keeps for 2 years from the date of packaging.

Which is better, besan or Multani Mitti?

Neither, because they aren't the same kind of thing. Multani Mitti is a mineral clay whose clearest property is taking up oil; besan is gram flour, which gives a face pack body and a creamier feel. If surface oil is the complaint, the clay is the direct answer. Mixed equal parts with enough water for a soft paste, you get a clay mask with a flour-based body rather than one that cleanses twice as hard. Chandan usually means sandalwood, a different material again, and ubtan isn't one ingredient at all but a blend that varies by household, with Multani Mitti often the clay component inside it.

How it works

A wet clay layer sits closely against the skin, takes up oil and water, and carries what it holds away when you rinse. Skin looks less shiny and feels cleaner straight afterwards, most obviously on a face that started out visibly oily. The mask changes while it sits: wet and flexible, then dull as the water evaporates, then pulling. Rinse at that point. A cracked mask isn't a stronger one. Mix it in a non-metallic bowl with a non-metallic spoon, as with any clay.

Absorbency isn't detox

The clay takes up surface oil, water and loose residue. It doesn't pull toxins out of the body, purify blood or empty pores from the inside, whatever clay marketing tends to say. Clean-feeling, less oily, fresh and matte are the accurate words.

What it does for skin

Oily and combination skin get the clearest result, because there is more surface oil to take, and combination skin often does better on the forehead, nose and chin alone. Skin can look brighter afterwards, meaning fresher and less dull once oil and residue have gone rather than any change in skin colour. The clay suits oily areas of the body too, and a thin five-minute slurry freshens oily roots, kept off dry or coloured lengths. There is a weekly routine on the oily-skin guide. If plain clay feels austere, Aloe Vera Powder gives a softer paste and Neem a more clarifying blend: 1 teaspoon of each with 3 to 4 teaspoons of warm water in both cases.

What to expect, and what it won't do

• It won't whiten, lighten or change your skin tone. A brighter look afterwards is oil and dullness rinsed away.
• It won't remove a tan, dark spots or pimple marks, which are pigment inside the skin rather than on it.
• It won't cure acne or clear a spot to a timetable. It takes oil off the surface around one.
• It won't extract established blackheads or shrink pores, though less oil can make pores look less obvious for a while.
• It won't firm, lift or erase wrinkles. The tight feeling is the clay drying, and it goes when you rinse.

Using it safely

For external use only. Keep powder and paste away from the eyes, eyelids and lips, and off the immediate under-eye area, and rinse with clean water if any gets in. Don't use it on broken, sunburned, cracked or significantly irritated skin. A mask can feel cool and mildly tight as it sets, but burning or painful stinging isn't normal: rinse straight away and don't use that mixture again. Keep it out of reach of children, and scoop close to the bowl so you aren't breathing in fine powder.

Dry and sensitive skin are the ones to take care with, and the frequency questions are answered on can you use Multani Mitti every day. Mix fresh and throw away the rest: once water is in, the two-year shelf life no longer applies. Store the pack closed in a cool, dry cupboard, and use a clean, dry spoon.