Bentonite

Bentonite

Moderate hazardMolecular weight N/A (a mineral mixture mainly of montmorillonite, so there is no single molecular weight)

What does Bentonite do for skin?

A clay mineral formed by weathered volcanic ash. It swells in water and its surface area becomes very large; known to adsorb sebum more strongly than kaolin.

Dose on file: N/A

Is Bentonite safe in skincare?

Moderate hazardHazard 6/10

CIR insufficient data

Based on

  • Reference: Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel

    Not enough data · CIR report 809 conclusion

Is Bentonite classified as a carcinogen?

Only four bodies count here: IARC, EU CLP, US NTP and California Prop 65.

Not classified by IARC, EU CLP, US NTP, or California Prop 65.

How is Bentonite regulated?

Cosmetic ingredient

Not found on any prescription-drug, professional-treatment, or US OTC monograph list, so it is treated as a cosmetic ingredient. This is a passive default ("not on any known restricted list"), not an individually verified positive finding.

Bentonite benefits for skin, by concern

These raw scores are only shown here, in the ingredient dictionary.

  • Sebum Control3.5

    Dose on file: N/A

    The same study as Zhang 2023 above. Bentonite is a swelling clay with a large surface area, so in theory it adsorbs more than kaolin (general mineralogy, not a clinical comparison of the two clays). Because it is a physical adsorption effect, how long it lasts depends on repeated use.

    • Reference: Zhang X et al., 2023
  • Pores2.5

    Dose on file: N/A

    The same combined mud-pack study as Zhang 2023 above. Bentonite (montmorillonite) swells strongly, so its adsorption is in theory greater than kaolin (general mineralogy) - no clinical trial comparing the two clays head to head was found.

    • Reference: Zhang X et al., 2023

Products that list this ingredient

105 products in our catalog list this ingredient. Here are the 12 with the most reviews.

Sources (2)

  • Reference: Zhang X et al., 2023
  • Reference: Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel

Red does not mean poison. Preservatives that stop a product going off, UV filters and fragrance can land on yellow or red depending on their score.

Green does not mean right for you. Skin and allergies differ from person to person. Treat the color as a starting point.