Quaternium-18 Hectorite

AKA: Quaternium 18-hectorite, Bentone 38, 12001-31-9, LUCENTITE SAN

Synthetic

Clay

Clean

Quaternary ammonium compounds, bis(hydrogenated tallow alkyl)dimethyl, chlorides, compds. with hectorite

Formula

HLiMgNaO11Si4-

Mol. Weight

343.60

CAS #

71011-27-3

Form

Powder

Functions

Viscosity Controlling

Controls Viscosity

Locks In Moisture

Traditional Use

A synthetic hybrid ingredient developed to combine cationic conditioning agents with hectorite clay's absorbent properties. Created for use in modern cosmetic formulations to improve spreadability and skin feel in pressed powders and foundations.

EWG

CIR

Safe as used

Pregnancy

Yes

CIR Safety Findings

Not a Sensitizer

medical-approval

all-shades-safe

Regulatory Status

USA✔ permitted

EU⚠ restricted

JAPAN⚠ restricted

CANADA⚠ restricted

Regulatory Agencies

EWG CIR FDA EU COSING Health Canada

Skin Types

●all-skin-types

Best For

General

Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe

Yes

The paper trail

🔬Peer-reviewednone on file

⚖️Regulatory1 listing →

🛡️Safety-assessed4 reviews →

Counts, not a verdict. A listing isn't a study. The trail, you decide.

Verified Jun 2026

Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR