Hectorite
AKA “12173-47-6, Hectorite (clay mineral), 08X4KI73EZ, HECTABRITE AW, HECTABRITE DP, HECTABRITE LT, ACCOFLOC HCX, SUMECTON HE, BENTONE CT”
Synthetic
Ingredient Facts
Hectorite
AKA: 12173-47-6, Hectorite (clay mineral), 08X4KI73EZ, HECTABRITE AW, HECTABRITE DP, HECTABRITE LT, ACCOFLOC HCX, SUMECTON HE, BENTONE CT
Synthetic · Skin Conditioning · EWG: 2
Synthetic
Skin Conditioner
Clay
Synthetic
Clean
The Panel also concluded that the following 7 ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practice of use and concentration described in this safety assessment, with the exception that the available data are insufficient to make a determination of safety for these ingredients in products that may be incidentally inhaled:Hectorite
Formula
H2LiMgNaO12Si4-2
Mol. Weight
360.60
CAS #
12173-47-6
See origin →
Functions
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Absorbs Excess Oil
Adds Body & Volume
Controls Viscosity
Adds volume
Controls product thickness
Traditional Use
This appears to be a CAS number without a standard cosmetic INCI name; unable to provide historical context without clarification of the specific ingredient.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Safety assessment of ammonium hectorites as used in cosmetics.
Becker LC, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2013
Safety assessment of ammonium hectorites as used in cosmetics.
Becker LC, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2013
Safety assessment of ammonium hectorites as used in cosmetics.
Becker LC, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA, Klaassen CD et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2013
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Quaternium-18, Quaternium-18 Hectorite, and Quaternium-18 Bentonite
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Stearalkonium Hectorite
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Safety Assessment of Ammonium Hectorites as Used in Cosmetics
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Dihydrogenated Tallow Benzylmonium Hectorite
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Quaternium-18 Hectorite
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Disteardimonium Hectorite
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Hectorite
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Quaternium-18 Hectorite
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Stearalkonium Hectorite
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR