How we scored it
Natural smectite clay mineral (minerals/clays=1.0); 1.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.
Where it comes from
Mined from natural clay deposits (notably in Hector, California, and similar hectorite-bearing sites) and purified by washing and milling. No synthetic chemistry is involved.
In plain English
A soft clay mineral mined from the earth. Absorbs excess oil, bulks out powders, and helps thicken creams and lotions.
Structure
lithium;magnesium;sodium;1,3,5,7-tetraoxido-2,4,6,8,9,10-hexaoxa-1,3,5,7-tetrasilatricyclo[5.1.1.13,5]decane;dihydroxide
References
- 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
- 2Hectorite. PubChem CID 72941499. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
- 3HECTORITE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
- 4HECTORITE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=HECTORITE