Magnesium aluminum silicate may not be a skin care ingredient you have heard of, but you are likely to use it every day. This ingredient is a favorite of cosmetic chemists and has the advantages of various formulations suitable for various personal care products. But in terms of providing actual skin care benefits? It doesn't have much effect in that department. Earlier, Marie Hayag, MD, the founder of New York City’s Fifth Avenue Aesthetics and a board-certified dermatologist, and Stacey Steinmetz, a cosmetic biochemist, the founder of StimuNail, explained why aluminum magnesium silicate is neither the ingredient you need to look for. Nor is it the ingredient you are trying to avoid.

Composition type: natural clay

Main advantages: It is strictly used for formulation purposes, including as an absorbent, emulsion stabilizer, and to help thicken products.

Who should use it: It has not been found to be irritating, so anyone can use it (unless you are allergic to it), Hayag said.

How often to use: Magnesium aluminum silicate is found in many products used daily.

Suitable for: Almost all other ingredients, which is why it is so commonly used. Hayag added that it works particularly well with other thickeners such as cellulose gum and xanthan gum.

Do not use with the following substances: There is no known ingredient that will negatively affect magnesium aluminum silicate.

"Magnesium aluminum silicate is a naturally occurring clay composed of magnesium, aluminum, silicon dioxide and oxygen. The clay is then purified and refined into a powder to improve the texture and function of cosmetic formulations," Steinmetz said. You will find it in a variety of beauty products in all categories, although she said it is most commonly found in hair care products such as shampoos and conditioners, shower gels, lotions, cosmetics (especially foundations) and deodorants . She pointed out that because it is a kind of clay, it is also very popular in vegan or plant-derived products.

Steinmetz pointed out that the biggest gain here is that magnesium aluminum silicate has never been used as an active ingredient or a key ingredient in products. "There is no research showing that it has any benefits for the skin," Hayag added, who further emphasized that it is only used for formulation purposes. In that sector, it provides a series of benefits, which is why it is so popular. There really isn't much it can't do. “By acting as an absorber, it can help prevent clumping, but it is also a sunscreen, which means it can be added to transparent formulations to make it resistant to visible light,” explains Haag. She adds that it thickens the products and prevents them from separating (technical term: emulsifier), and also helps to suspend insoluble particles such as color pigments or inorganic sunscreens such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. It can make the product feel rich and creamy when used, but again, it has no direct skin care benefits.

This ingredient has no effect on the skin, but it is not dangerous (more on that later). In short, consider that magnesium aluminum silicate is completely inert; you don't really need to pay attention to whether it is in your product.

Hayag said that magnesium aluminum silicate is safe for anyone because it has not been found to be irritating or sensitizing, and it has no known side effects. Having said that, allergies are still possible. Steinmetz pointed out that the most common cause is an allergy to aluminum in the composition. She added that it can also cause some minimal eye irritation. According to the cosmetic database, the ingredient is considered safe for use in cosmetics and beauty products, but in a limited concentration; Steinmetz said this is again because these aluminum compounds do have some known risks. However, this is not something worthy of attention. "Because magnesium aluminum silicate has a very large molecule, it cannot be absorbed by the skin, and it is unlikely to affect the endocrine, immune or reproductive system," Steinmetz explained.

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