Tag Archives: Moisturising clay

Clay abuse or tuff love ?

Simon Leach- moisturising hardish clay tip !

This is a simple but effective way to bring back your clay into a more usable / kneadable / throwable state .

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Another moisturising tip  ( for the hands ).

According to the Ayurvedic classic ” Charaka Samhita “, the cure par excellence for an excess of Vayu ( wind element ) is Til oil. Traditional Chinese Medicine claims the same  fact :  Sesame oil ( Til ) helps to pacifiy Feng ( wind element ).

So how is this related to curing dry hands developed  from making pottery? Well, any exposure to cold or local air movement or physical straining will agitate the Feng and can  lead to skin dryness. The reason sesame oil is the most effective  to alleviate dryness is because it is highly water soluble and penetrates deeply into the skin.  Sometimes it becomes absorbed within a few minutes of applying.  It also possesses  a high quality Yang Chi.  Sesame seeds as old as 3000 years have been discovered still intact, indicating a powerful life force ( Chi ) ). This gives the oil rejuvenating qualities.

So applying Sesame oil on a regular  basis will go a long way to helping  the skin stay supple. Always use oil that is warmish in temperature and preferably organic.

Another point worthy of mention is that the Feng can cause dryness of the joints, which combined with dampness can lead to arthritis. Once again, application of sesame oil naturally lubricates the joints and is effective in preventing this ailment.