MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE

📋 Quick facts

Description: MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE — thickener, texture stabilizer, absorbent.

All Functions: thickener, texture stabilizer, absorbent

Quick Facts:

• Category: other

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Magnesium Aluminum Silicate is a clay-like mineral ingredient used in cosmetics as a thickener, anticaking agent, and stabilizer
• It showed only weak skin irritation in animal studies and minimal eye irritation
• Daily topical application to human skin for one week caused no adverse effects
• The ingredient is considered safe as currently used in cosmetic formulations by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel
• It can be used in gel formulations for potential drug delivery applications

⚗️ Chemical Overview

The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety concluded that the following 24 silicate ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration described in this safety assessment when formulated to be non-irritating, with the exception that the available data are insufficient to make a determination of safety for the use of naturally-sourced (i.e., mined) silicate ingredients in products that may be incidentally inhaled: Magnesium Aluminum Silicate. Magnesium aluminum silicate is a naturally occurring mineral obtained from silicate ores of the montmorillonite group. It is refined to a powder for use in cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications as an absorbent, anticaking agent, opacifying agent, viscosity-increasing agent, suspending agent, tablet and capsule disintegrant, and tablet binder. It also has antacid properties and is used as a component of some over the counter antacid medications. See also: Aluminum Chloride (related); Calcium Sulfate (related); Monosodium Glutamate (related) … View More …

Source(s): Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), PubChem, DrugBank, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

⚠️ Allergen Warning

MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE is listed as an EU-recognized allergen (contact) and must be disclosed on product labels above the required threshold concentration.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

Derived from this ingredient’s irritancy potential and comedogenicity rating against the needs of each skin type — e.g. oily and acne-prone skin are marked down for pore-clogging ingredients, sensitive skin for irritants. A starting heuristic, not a dermatological verdict.

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Magnesium Aluminum Silicate is a naturally occurring mineral composed of silicon, oxygen, magnesium, and aluminum. In skincare products, it serves multiple functions: #1: it acts as a thickening agent and viscosity-increasing agent, helping to create the right texture in formulations (Int J Toxicol, 2003); #2: it works as an anticaking agent and emulsion stabilizer, keeping products stable and preventing clumping (Int J Toxicol, 2003); and #3: it can be incorporated into gel-based systems that might be used for controlled delivery of other ingredients, particularly when formulated with electrolytic-reduction ion water (Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces, 2009). Regarding safety, the ingredient has a favorable toxicity profile in cosmetic use.

#4: In animal skin irritation studies, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate was only a weak primary skin irritant in rabbits and showed no cumulative skin irritation in guinea pigs (Int J Toxicol, 2003). #5: In eye irritation tests on rabbits, it caused only minimal irritation (Int J Toxicol, 2003). Most importantly, #6: when applied topically to human skin daily for one week, it produced no adverse effects (Int J Toxicol, 2003). The Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel concluded that Magnesium Aluminum Silicate is safe as currently used in cosmetic formulations, with the caveat that any spray product containing such solid particles should be formulated to minimize inhalation risk, since occupational inhalation of high concentrations of mineral dusts has been associated with lung damage (Int J Toxicol, 2003).

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Elmore AR et al. (2003). Final report on the safety assessment of aluminum silicate, calcium silicate, magnesium aluminum silicate, magnesium silicate, magnesium trisilicate, sodium magnesium silicate, zirconium silicate, attapulgite, bentonite, Fuller’s earth, hectorite, kaolin, lithium magnesium silicate, lithium magnesium sodium silicate, montmorillonite, pyrophyllite, and zeolite. Int J Toxicol.
• Okajima M et al. (2009). Physicochemical properties of magnesium aluminum silicate (smectone) gels prepared using electrolytic-reduction ion water (2): Effects of various salts on the phase diagram. Colloids Surf B Biointerfaces.

🧴 Products Containing MAGNESIUM ALUMINUM SILICATE

• Nivea Dry Comfort
• KORRES Travel Size Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cream Cleanser
• Unilever, Dove Crema corporal ritual energizante
• Vaseline Intensive Care Non-greasy Lotion
• So’bio etic Shampooing doux Lait d’ânesse et d’amande
• Sobio Crème Visage Anti-âge à L’argan Bio
• Proraso Shaving Cream (Sensitive Skin, with Green Tea and Oatmeal)
• Neutrogena Deep Clean Gentle Facial Scrub
• Provence Santé crème légère anti âge
• Carrefour, Les Cosmétiques Design Paris, Nectar of Beauty Shampooing douceur et brillance au lait d’amande douce et à la fleur d’oranger
• Neutrogena Visibly Clear Correct & Perfect CC Crème Claire
• Burts Bees Baby Sunflower Lotion
• Weleda Baume après rasage
• Auchan Crème de douche Dermo Protect soin hydratant
• Cosmia Crème dépilatoire à l’aloe vera
• Mussvital Body Milk
• Vaseline Intensive Care Cocoa Radiant 48H Moisture/ Hydration Lotion
• Clean & Clear Dual Action Moisturizer
• L’Oréal, L’Oreal Consumer products, L’Oréal Paris, Elseve Elseve Argile Extraordinaire Shampooing antipelliculaire
• MAC Studio Radiance 24HR Luminous Lift Concealer NC11
• Unilever, Vaseline Vaseline Intensive Care Essential Healing Bodylotion
• Clinique Clinique for Men Face Wash
• Unilever, Suave Skin Solutions Suave Nourishing Lotion – Cocoa Shea
• suave lotion
• Life Brand Healthy Hand & Nail Lotion
• hand body lotion
• New York Color BB Crème 01 Light
• Nautical Nonsense Palette
• suave
• dead sea minerals anti-stress clay face mask
• Johnson’s BedtIme Baby Lotion
• Vaseline Intensive Care Nourishing Moisture
• Unilever, Vaseline cocoa radiant lotion
• vaseline cocoa radiant lotion
• Johnson’s Baby Lotion
• johnson and Johnson baby lotion
• Aveeno Creamy oil moisturizer
• Johnson’s Baby Lotion
• La vie est à Nous Soin + – peau à boutons
• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Roll-On Men Dry Fresh 50ml