understanding clays

[booboo]

Hi all,
I feel fealy silly asking this question, are the clays you lot talk about the same as potters clay?
We dont have a soaping shop here, but, we do have a small craft shop. I dont speak enough Sloveain to ask the the young man behind the counter and he does not speak enough english.

 

[IanT]

they are similar, the clays we usually use are bentonite, kaolin... there are soooo many types... very good topic to research

 

[booboo]

Hi,
thanks for the reply, I have looked this up and found the names such as you mentioned. The problem I have is the ones they sell here have a slovenian name and it just confused me. You say similar, I take it they are not the same.

 

[IanT]

they all differ in their characteristics (some attract more moisture to the skin than others, other pull moisture out of the skin...) I think its used mos widely in powdered form (is that how craft clay comes?? i dont remember... )

just as soils differ from place to place so do the clays that we dig out from beneath them... so no.. no two are the same, may be similar but not the same

I have a sheet somewhere with it all explained nice and concise but i cant seem to locate it... will keep looking for it and let ya know if i find it!