Clay Bentonite

Bentonite clay powder is a naturally occurring by product of volcanic ash exposed to wind and water.

It is added to natural body powders, usually in combination with corn starch or orris root powder. Moistened with a small amount of water, bentonite clay makes an excellent facial mask to draw out impurities from the skin.

The scientific name for bentonite clay is hydrous silicate of alumina, which refers to its colloidal properties, or the ability to absorb up to 10 times its weight in water. In fact, because this material readily expands to many times its original mass, it is used in the oil and gas industry at drilling sites. Bentonite clay is also used as an environmental sealant for freshwater ponds and wells and in construction to create water-proof barriers around foundation walls.

Bentonite clay is also used in metal casting, poultry feed and in the manufacture of clumping cat litter. The versatility of this material earned a reputation as “the mineral with a thousand uses.” Originally known as “mineral soap,” bentonite received its modern common name in the late 19th century when an abundant reserve was found in the Benton Shale deposit near Rock River, Wyoming.