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Stearalkonium Hectorite
Stearalkonium Hectorite
A modified clay that thickens oil-based products and keeps pigments from settling.
What it does
It’s a clay treated so it works in oil. It thickens oils into a gel, so pigments in nail polish and makeup stay evenly spread instead of settling.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (2013) assessed four ammonium hectorites, clays that products use mainly to keep particles suspended. Disteardimonium hectorite didn’t irritate skin in two patch tests on people at 15%. Stearalkonium hectorite didn’t irritate or cause allergy in people at 100%. The clays are stable and inert, and their size and charge should keep them from passing through skin. They judged all four safe as used.Becker 2013 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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