Bentonite is a highly versatile, naturally occurring clay formed from volcanic ash, celebrated for its unique ability to swell, absorb, and bind when mixed with water. It is widely used in major industries, cosmetic and pharmacy. This article will introduce its application and requirements in different industries.

Industrial grade

Bentonite is a naturally occurring clay composed primarily of montmorillonite, a layered alumino-silicate mineral known for its exceptional swelling, absorbency, and binding characteristics. It is widely used in drilling fluids, foundry molding sands, iron ore pelletizing, civil engineering, and environmental protection systems.

Industrial grade bentonite typically features a purity of 95% to 99% montmorillonite clay content. It ensures the high swelling, binding, and rheological control.

Cosmetic grade

Bentonite is well known for its unique properties and is widely used in the cosmetics industry, in which it plays an important role. Here are some examples of bentonite being applied as an ingredient in the field of cosmetics^[1]:

Absorbent: Due to its excellent absorbent properties, it is a popular ingredient in skin care products such as body washes and face masks, which effectively remove impurities and excess oil to smooth the skin.

Thickening agent: Bentonite acts as a natural thickener in cosmetic formulations such as lotions and creams, providing a creamy texture without requiring synthetic thickeners.

Clarifying agent: The clarifying qualities of clay are beneficial in hair care products such as shampoos and conditioners, as they help remove dandruff and soothe the scalp.

Oral care: In oral care products like toothpaste and mouthwash, the inclusion of bentonite is deemed beneficial due to its ability to eliminate impurities from teeth and gums, along with its potential antibacterial effects.

Deodorant: When it comes to natural deodorants, the absorbent properties of bentonite make it a suitable choice for combating odor-causing bacteria.

Anti-aging: More recently, bentonite has been suggested as a cosmetic ingredient with anti-aging properties because it induces telomerase activity (a telomerase activator preserves the length of a telomere and delays the aging process of cells). Cosmetic formulations incorporate bentonite extract to increase telomerase activity to prevent skin aging or enhance anti-aging.

Cosmetic grade bentonite need undergoes specific purification to remove heavy metals (such as lead, arsenic, cadmium) and microbiological contaminants, making it safe for topical skincare.

Pharmaceutical grade

Pharmaceutial grade bentonite acts as a suspending agent, tablet binder, and thickener. Its unique swelling and adsorptive properties also allow it to be utilized in topical treatments, antacid medications, and specialized drug delivery systems. The use of bentonite in medicine and pharmacology is promising. Available data testify to its exceptional efficiency for therapeutic purposes, mainly for external applications, due to its finely dispersed structure. The ion exchange properties of montmorillonite are successfully utilized in medical practice. For example, fillers based on montmorillonite and montmorillonite with a hydroxyapatite layer, which has remineralizing potential, are used to create composite materials for dental fillings.^[2]

Pharmaceutical grade bentonite is defined primarily by the United States Pharmacopeia/National Formulary (USP-NF), European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.), and British Pharmacopoeia (BP). It has strict requirements for the residual heavy metals and the number of bacteria, to guarantee biocompatibility and stability in medicinal and topical formulations.

References

[1] Rana, M. S., & Kim, S. (2024). Bentonite in Korea: A Resource and Research Focus for Biomedical and Cosmetic Industries. ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 50 18. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma17091982

[2] Kabdrakhmanova, S. K., Kerimkulova, A. Z., Nauryzova, S. Z., Aryp, K., Shaimardan, E., Kukhareva, A. D., Kantay, N., Beisebekov, M. M., & Thomas, S. (2025). Bentonite-Based Composites in Medicine: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications. Journal of Composites Science, 9(6), 310. https://doi.org/10.3390/jcs9060310