I've been using bentonite clay for about a month now and I really feel like it has helped my skin a lot. At the moment my skin is completely clear except for one small under the skin pimple that started to come up. I don't expect it to even come all the way up, as the clay has been pretty much keeping my skin clear. Okay, so this is what I've been doing.
I mix equal parts Clay and Coconut oil and use the mixture to exfoliate my face. It won't harden at all; it will feel like diluted paste. The clay will bead up slightly, but if you are noticing huge clay chunks, you may have used too much clay. I scrub scrub scrub...its not irritating at all...the coconut oil soothes and the clay exfoliates.
Next, I put a little water on my hands and rub that all over my face, this turns the clay into a mask. I leave that on for 5-15 mins. The mask doesn't get overly dry or irritate my face b/c of the coconut oil, but it will still harden.
Then I rinse the mask off and tone with diluted tea tree oil. My face isn't typically really dry after this process, but if it is, I’ll dab a bit of jojoba oil or light moisturizer on it. That's all...my face has been feeling so soft, clean, and refreshed!
Side Note: The first 8 days of using the clay, my skin broke out a lot. The clay pulled out all the crud. That being said, I don't think I really have to tell anyone one this site the importance of doing the internal work along with the external. Hope this helps someone!