Natural clays have been used to heal skin infections since the earliest recorded history. Recently our attention was drawn to a clinical use of French green clay (rich in Fe-smectite) for healing Buruli ulcer, a necrotizing fasciitis (‘flesh-eating’ infection) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans. These clays and others like them are interesting as they may reveal an antibacterial mechanism that could provide an inexpensive treatment for this and other skin infections, especially in global areas with limited hospitals and medical resources.Microbiological testing of two French green clays, and other clays used traditionally for healing, identified three samples that were effective at killing a broad-spectrum of human pathogens. A clear distinction must be made between ‘healing clays’ and those we have identified as antibacterial clays. The highly adsorptive properties of many clays may contribute to healing a variety of ailments, although they are not antibacterial. The antibacterial process displayed by the three identified clays is unknown. Therefore, we have investigated the mineralogical and chemical compositions of the antibacterial clays for comparison with non-antibacterial clays in an attempt to elucidate differences that may lead to identification of the antibacterial mechanism(s).The two French green clays used to treat Buruli ulcer, while similar in mineralogy, crystal size, and major element chemistry, have opposite effects on the bacterial populations tested. One clay deposit promoted bacterial growth whereas another killed the bacteria. The reasons for the difference in antibacterial properties thus far show that the bactericidal mechanism is not physical (e.g., an attraction between clay and bacteria), but by a chemical transfer or reaction. The chemical variables are still under investigation.Cation exchange experiments showed that the antibacterial component of the clay can be removed, implicating exchangeable cations in the antibacterial process. Furthermore, aqueous leachates of the antibacterial clays effectively kill the bacteria. Progressively heating the clay leads first to dehydration (200°C), then dehydroxylation (550°C or more), and finally to destruction of the clay mineral structure by (~900°C). By identifying the elements lost after each heating step, and testing the bactericidal effect of the heated product, we eliminated many toxins from consideration (e.g., microbes, organic compounds, volatile elements) and identified several redox-sensitive refractory metals that are common among antibacterial clays. We conclude that the pH and oxidation state buffered by the clay mineral surfaces is key to controlling the solution chemistry and redox related reactions occurring at the bacterial cell wall.

Some mica mines provide no protection, support, or any kind of safety measures for the children – some as young as 5 years old – or the adults who work in the mines. Brutally harsh conditions and extremely long days in the hot sun are some of the things that wait for the people that work there.  Small children are forced to go down the narrow shafts, some as much as 15-30 metres deep to get to the mica that the adults can’t reach. Cuts, broken bones, serious injury, and at times death are all part of the everyday risks they are forced to take due to unstable mineshafts and injuries from the tools used. Many children have died and seen their family members die on the mines. All for just a wage of between 25-50c (USD) per day, depending on how much they can dig up. 1kg of mined mica will get the miners 8c (USD) but will get $1000 (USD) on the international market. As consumers, you all have the power to demand ethical transparency from the brands you use and support. Raising awareness and asking questions about sourcing and ingredients will start important conversations and force brands to raise their awareness and their ethical game. 

Silica ash, also known as silica powder, also known as micro-silica powder or silica ultrafine powder, generally referred to as silica ash. Silica fume is a kind of ultrafine silica powder material formed by the rapid oxidation and condensation of SiO2 and Si gas and oxygen in the air during the smelting of ferrosilicon alloy and industrial silicon.

I call ceramsite 'baby leca' although houseplant hobbyists often use leca and ceramsite to describe the same thing. These two plant substrates are essentially are the same, with more similarities than differences, although the prep before use is slightly different (prep and more tips coming up).

If you enjoy making household remedies, then you might want to learn how to make activated charcoal. It’s pretty cool stuff, we don’t blame you for wanting to know!

If you’ve never heard of bentonite clay, your skin care game is about to change. Like so many of the best skin care ingredients available, bentonite clay comes right from nature – specifically, from a town called Fort Benton in Wyoming. It’s actually derived from the decomposition of volcanic ash and is used in cosmetics as well as skin care products. Containing calcium, iron, and magnesium, bentonite clay for skin is well known for its incredible ability to multitask.

Everyone seems to be jumping on the mineralF. "People think mineral means natural, so they are drawn to it," dermatologist Francesca Fusco, MD, says.Many people find out about mineral makeup when they want to go "green" with their cosmetics. Cosmetic chemist Jim Hammer of Mix Solutions in Uxbridge, Mass., says, "With the current interest in safe, natural, and organic products, the mineral makeup approach is very popular. And the category appears to be continuing to grow."

'It is really important that we all understand where the raw materials come from, that metals and minerals are in the Earth where nature puts them. They don't come from a factory, and the supply is dispersed around the world where sometimes business and environmental practices aren't the best.'Richard hopes that by learning where these valuable resources come from and how they are being extracted, people will place more value on what they already have, understand the environmental (and human) cost of cheap electronics, reduce their own waste and make choices that in turn force manufacturers to lift their standards. 

In the realm of construction and manufacturing, silica fume stands as a versatile and indispensable material.

Silica fume is a fine particle by-product generated during the smelting process of silicon ferroalloys in electric arc furnaces.

Fused quartz is the amorphous (glassy) state of silicon oxide (quartz, silica), which is a typical glass with a long-range disordered atomic structure. It provides its high service temperature and low coefficient of thermal expansion through a three-dimensional structure cross-linking.

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