Activated Charcoal vs. Calcium Bentonite Clay

These two materials come straight from Mother Earth and possess natural detoxifying properties. Activated charcoal and calcium bentonite clay are not related, yet both have similar qualities and capabilities.

Activated Charcoal

Activated charcoal adsorbs (adsorption vs. absorption) toxins from the body. Most toxins and impurities are made up of positively charged particles. Because charcoal has a negative charge, the positively charged particles are attracted to the negatively charge charcoal particles to create a new bond with a neutral charge.

Calcium Bentonite

Calcium bentonite clay works in a similar way to activated charcoal in that it also attracts positively charged particles (i.e. toxins and impurities). Calcium bentonite clay molecules are also negatively charged but it is made from ancient volcanic ash which results in naturally occurring vitamin and mineral content. Calcium bentonite clay works better than activated charcoal for adsorbing toxins and impurities. Among the different types of bentonite clay that are available and used in clay mask products, calcium bentonite is the best and for any other application where drying and dehydrating of the skin is not desirable. Bentonite clay also helps to get oxygen molecules into the skin cells because it has the ability to pull excess hydrogen from the skin, leaving room for oxygen molecules to take its place. More oxygen in your cells = more energy and better immunity.

What is Calcium Bentonite Clay?  "Clay” is a very soft phyllosilicate group of minerals that typically form as microscopic crystals.  Clay is composed of ash made from volcanoes that was deposited into fresh or seawater millions of years ago.  There are several different types of clay, each with variations in shapes, sizes and mineral composition. The mineral structure of a specific type of clay determines its specific properties. There are seven clay mineral groups:

• Kaolin

• Illite

• Smectite

• Chlorite

• Vermiculite

• Mixed-layer (combination of five listed above)

• Lath-form

Smectite clays are the only clay group of the seven that both adsorbs and absorbs toxins and impurities.  Calcium bentonite clay is a specific species of the Smectite clay sub-group. The molecular components of calcium bentonite clay become electrically charged when it is mixed with water. It is this process that allows calcium bentonite clay to both absorb and adsorb toxins, heavy metals and other impurities.

NOTE:  Adsorption is the adhesion of atoms, ions, or molecules to a surface. This process creates a film of the adsorbate on the surface of the adsorbent. This process differs from absorption, in which a fluid (i.e. H2O), the absorbate, permeates a solid calcium bentonite clay particle, the absorbent.