What does Hectorite do?

Used in cosmetics as an absorbent, a bulking agent and a thickener.

We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
cleaning
industrial

Hectorite

CAS 12332-06-8

Also registered as 7 other CAS numbers

12601-15-9 · 52410-55-6 · 59515-32-1 · 59764-27-1 · 68084-70-8 · 68084-71-9 · 12173-47-6

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Hectorite in plain language

What it is: Also known as Hectorite ((Mg2.67Li0.33)Si4Na0.33(F0.5-1(OH)0-0.5)2O10) · Accofloc HCX · Astratone 40 · Bentone CT · Bentone HC · Coaguloid
Show all 18 names
Fluorohectorite · H2LiMgNaO12Si4-- · Hectabrite aw · Hectabrite dp · Hectabrite lt · Hectabrite 200 · Hectorite (clay mineral) · Hectorite clay · Optigel sh · Sumecton he · UNII-08X4KI73EZ · Veegum t
What it does: Used in cosmetics as an absorbent, a bulking agent and a thickener.
Absorbent
Bulking
Viscosity controlling
Colourant
Thickener
Opacifier
Is it a concern?: We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Hectorite appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning
Industrial

EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 312 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Construction, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Absorbent, Viscosity modifier, Filler.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 312 composition records across product categories including Construction and building materials, Construction, Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including Absorbent, Viscosity modifier, Filler.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for Hectorite. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Hectorite yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

6 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated april 21, 2017
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Fragrance avoidance

Nothing to weigh for this context yet.

No signal in this context

We have no published hazard signal for this ingredient, so we cannot say how it behaves in this context — that is missing evidence, not a clean result.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Hectorite in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

312

Named organisations

Construction and building materialsConstructionPersonal careHome maintenance

Typical roles

AbsorbentBulkingViscosity controllingColourantThickenerOpacifier

See products using Hectorite →

Catalog

Found in these products

Their ingredient lists include Hectorite; each product's own rating depends on its whole formula, so it is shown on the product page, not here.

See all 38 →Find products without it →