Can I be allergic to a different clay, or different Sand in a clay body?

[JASON GANLEY]

Okay.  I'm trying out a Laguna Clay Cone 5 called Buff with Sand.

I have used a Cone 06 Buff with sand with no issues itching wise.

However, It seems like the sand in the Cone 5 clay is much more flecked, white and dark sand.

When I wash my hands, it seems to stay on the skin more.  Kind of like going to the beach and not getting all the sand off your hands or feet.

I swear, I feel like I get itchy or even irritated skin, like allergic reaction?

Is this possible?

[liambesaw]

Could it be dry hands being aggravated by the sharp grog?  Mine get itchy when I'm recycling clay, but I don't throw in a way where my hands are exposed to much grog, it's usually mostly the tips of my pointer, middle fingers and thumbs.  When I'm centering, my pinkies will sometimes need to touch the wheel head, but only for a second.

I know a lot of people early in their learning will grind off the side of their hands until they're raw between the wheel head and the grog.  Ouch!

Maybe you can try a clay with finer grog?

You could be allergic or sensitive to manganese, but I've never heard of someone being allergic to clay itself.

[JASON GANLEY]

Maganese is what they use to add color to buff and darker clays, correct?

I haven't had that problem with red clays or moroccan sand, etc.

Weird. 

[liambesaw]

Depends, some use iron, some use manganese, some use both.  I'm guessing it's the sand if it's actual sand and not grog.  That stuff can be brutal on the hands.

[neilestrick]

I have a friend who gets really itchy when clay bodies have a certain ingredient in them- Kayanite if I remember correctly. I think it has a shape that is more prone to aggravating the skin.

[Callie Beller Diesel]

It may seem sort of counterintuitive because of the added skin drying potential, but wash your hands really thoroughly with soap once you're done working. It breaks the ionic bonds between clay particles, so it rinses away instead of staying on your skin to dry it out further. Then, follow up with a good hand cream. This works if it's just skin being irritated from being dried out. If you have a case of contact dermatitis (scaly red patches) check with your doctor, it may have a bacterial cause. That last is more common if you're using reclaim or studio mixed clay that has had something like yogurt or urine added to it to encourage plasticity.

Typically buff and red clays are from iron impurities in secondary clays, not *usually* manganese. The black, and some speckled clays are the manganese suspects, but your clay manufacturer should make that information available to you if you ask.

[Apocalypticamerica]

On 11/19/2018 at 2:23 PM, Callie Beller Diesel said:

 more common if you're using reclaim or studio mixed clay that has had something like yogurt or urine added to it to encourage plasticity.

Wait, seriously?  Urine in your reclaim is a thing?  

[Callie Beller Diesel]

4 hours ago, Apocalypticamerica said:

Wait, seriously?  Urine in your reclaim is a thing?  

I wish I was kidding. 

[liambesaw]

Couldn't possibly make my reclaim buckets any stinkier haha.

[Min]

Rubbing some apple cider vinegar into your hands after washing up, letting your hands dry in the air then using lotion helps too. 

[liambesaw]

5 minutes ago, Min said:

Rubbing some apple cider vinegar into your hands after washing up, letting your hands dry in the air then using lotion helps too. 

That sounds so painful.  Please tell me your hands aren't cracked and scraped up like mine.  That would be torture, especially on all the hang nails!

[Min]

10 hours ago, liambesaw said:

That sounds so painful.  Please tell me your hands aren't cracked and scraped up like mine.  That would be torture, especially on all the hang nails!

My hands are probably as banged up as most peoples here but just a tiny bit of a.c. vinegar doesn't sting.