I remember my grandmother used to say, “No matter how many times you take a bath, you’re always dirty.” As a kid, I’d laugh, thinking she was just being funny. But as I got older, I realized what she meant. You could scrub yourself raw, take a bath every day, two or three times even, but the moment you step back in that water, you’ll see the dirt lift from your skin.
She wasn’t just talking about physical dirt—she was reminding me that we are of the Earth, and we are always returning to it, shedding, renewing, and cycling back through. Just like the scripture says:
"For dust you are, and to dust you will return." — Genesis 3:19
And isn’t that the truth? We come from the Earth, molded like clay, shaped by time, experience, and struggle. Clay isn’t just for building houses—it’s for building us. It strengthens, protects, and purifies, just like the lessons life gives us.
We use clay in our hair, on our skin, and in our rituals because it pulls—pulls out toxins, pulls out energy, pulls us back to our foundation. It firms, strengthens, and shapes—whether it’s our curls, our homes, or our spirits. That’s why our ancestors worked with it, knowing that everything we need is already here.
And just like clay, we are constantly being shaped. We go through fire, we go through storms, and yet, we come out stronger, more defined, more resilient. We are not separate from the Earth—we are the Earth.
So when people ask, “What do you use?” The answer is simple: Earth.
Because the wisdom of our ancestors still speaks through the elements we touch today. And just like my grandmother said—no matter how much we wash, we are always a part of the dust, forever connected to where we came from.