Bentonite Clay (cosmetic Grade) Bentonite clay [Sodium Bentonite] (a combination of montmorillonite and volcanic ash) is a highly absorbent clay best suited for oil skin. It is a fine powder, odorless and tasteless, insoluble in water, swelling to about eight times its weight when water is added. Uses: Suspending and colloidal agent in the manufacture of soap, also used in cosmetics and directly on the body as a treatment. Bentonite powder is added to soap at trace to help oily skin or as an additive in shaving soap (1T per #of soap). In treatments it's not normally used as the predominant clay due to it's ability to absorb large quantities of water (thus making the treatment product take a very long time to dry). It is, however, used in smaller quantities to make treatment products more elastic. Also used to suspend pigments, thicken lotions and absorb oil.
