Clays: a New Multifunctional Cosmetic Natural and Sustainable Active Ingredients

Nowadays, customers are looking for cosmetic products that bring benefits for skin health besides their capacity to ameliorate the skin beauty perception. Natural clays can provide this need through their capacity to interact with the skin, while treat them in a positive way. The physical-chemical properties and the mineral composition supplied by clays (specially to kaolinite type), bring beneficial properties for skin, such as source of essential minerals, strength to the barrier function, detox and matte effect, and improvement of rheological parameters of formulations. Thanks to their versatility, clays can be use in formulations for skin, providing cleaning effect, action against pollution and toxins, and also new formulas for solid cosmetics, which increases stability of formulations. Interestingly, Brazilian clays present additional benefits in a performance-based multifunctionality, improving skin conditions through maintenance of hydration, and decrease of TEWL evaluated in short-time and long-time proof-of-concept studies, after clays foundation type formulation application in healthy skin participants. Results obtained from that provide information regarding effectiveness on skin hydration, and skin barrier function through the decrease of the trans epidermal water loss ensuring the promotion of skin healthiness.