Il
Illite (Green Clay)
Illite
The French green clay in masks. It soaks up oil and grime so they rinse away; daily use can dry skin out.
What it does
It soaks up oil and surface grime, which rinse away with the clay. It’s the main part of most French green clay, used in masks and some cleansers. Lab studies suggest it fights some bacteria too, though evidence on skin is mostly observational. Daily use can strip skin’s oils and dry it out, especially drier skin.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2026) assessed 8 natural clays, which products use to absorb and to add bulk. Heavy metals in these clays didn’t pass through skin, but they asked makers to limit them. They judged illite safe as used, except that they had too little data on products that might be breathed in.Burnett 2026 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Also known as
french green clay, sea clay
Browse all 1238 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.