ETHNIC CARE
Bentonite clay – nature’s beautiful gift
Bentonite clay, as it is commonly known, belongs to the family of smectite clays. To some people bentonite is known as montmorillonite, hectorite or saponite, and to others in the personal care and pharma industries as magnesium aluminium silicate. But what do all these variants have in common? And how do we know which option is best for a face mask, cream or an oral suspension?
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Did you know? Bentonite clay can be used in virtually all topical emulsions and suspensions, as well as powder form and solid products like soap bars and deodorant sticks. It’s no wonder that an analysis by Facebook for Business identified bentonite as a top trending ingredient for personal care and cosmetics in 2020. This distinction gives credibility to bentonite clay’s natural origins and formula multitasking properties. Simply put, bentonite clay is nature’s beautiful gift to us.
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o better understand smectite clays, it’s best to start at the beginning. Most smectite clay deposits were formed some 120 million years ago during the Cretaceous period of the Mesozoic era, when winds blew volcanic ashes into the shallow inland seas. The mixture of volcanic ash and decomposing flora and fauna in the inland sea water all contributed to the formation of a mineral we now recognise as bentonite clay. While each deposit of smectite clay worldwide has a similar origin, each has a unique mineral composition. The names given to each type of smectite clay have simple sources – most names come from the place where the clay in question was first identified and its characteristics catalogued. When it comes to bentonite, the name hails from Fort Benton in the State of Wyoming (USA); montmorillonite originates from Montmorillon in France; hectorite was named after
the city Hector near San Bernardino in California (USA); and saponite was first described in 1840 by Lars Fredrik Svanberg, a Swedish chemist and mineralogist. Although all types of smectite clay have some level of magnesium silicate and aluminium silicate in their deposits, the amount is not equal. For example, montmorillonite is classified as aluminium silicate-based, and saponite is classified as magnesium silicatebased. Because in their respective crystal lattice structures, one metal oxide is more dominant than the other. When you blend them together, you get magnesium aluminium silicate, which is where Vanderbilt Minerals, LLCs’ Veegum product originates.
UNIQUE MINERALOGICAL PROPERTIES Bentonite clay has been used for centuries for its healing and therapeutic purposes, but mostly as a natural cleanser and skin softener. The cleansing property is most
