Homemade Fuller's Earth Clay Mask

My commercial clay mask ran out, so I decided to make my own detoxifying clay mask.

Did a little research, and found out about this clay called "Fuller's Earth", which is perfect for my skin's needs because I have oily skin, and I want a mask with skin-lightening properties.
According to MountainRoseHerbs.com, Fuller's Earth is "a sedimentary clay that has been widely used as a skin-lightening agent and is best known for its ability to be applied as a 'facial bleach'. Because of its enormous drawing capabilities, Fuller's Earth is the number one choice for oily skin and those prone to acne. It literally draws oil from the skin and has been used industrially for this exact purpose." Purchased a bag of cosmetic grade Fuller's Earth from MountainRoseHerbs.com, and when I received it I started experimenting with a few ideas on the web to come up with a suitable mask.

Some said honey would be good if you don't want the mask to be too drying, others added tea tree oil, or mixed it with rose water. For my first batch, I mixed the clay with honey, lemon juice and tea tree oil, but I didn't really like the end result because it was a little too moisturising and I did not feel the tightening effect at all. Made the mask again today, and I think I have a winner:

1 heaped tea spoon of fuller's earth clay
concentrated green tea
a few drops of tea tree oil (I added three)

Mix the green tea with the clay till you reach the desired consistency, then add tea tree oil. Apply onto a clean face. When the mask dries completely, rinse off with warm water.

Initially, I decided to go with water and tea tree oil. As I was mixing it all up in the kitchen, it suddenly crossed my mind that I could use green tea instead because of its wonderful benefits: apparently, when it is applied topically, it has detoxifying and antihistamine-like effects. I put a green tea bag into a mug, added a small amount of hot water, and started "mashing" the tea bag with a spoon to get really concentrated green tea really quickly. Added the green tea to the clay in small amounts till I got the consistency I desired, then added the tea tree oil. Applied the mask with my fingers, then sat around and waited till the mask started to dry and I began to feel the tightening effect characteristic of clay masks. The tea tree oil made the mask really tingly and had a "cooling" effect on my skin. One thing that I observed though, was that parts of the mask turned bright green, effectively showing me that the water had evaporated, while parts remained dark green, indicating that it was still relatively high in water content. I put quite a thick layer on my face because I made a little too much, but I think the next time I'll apply a thinner layer.

My skin felt really clean and refreshed after I washed off the mask. I'll probably have to try this a few times to see its long term effects, but for now I am very pleased with it!