Magnesium aluminum silicate is an inorganic chemical compound, natural thickener, a saponite (belonging to the smectite group), a laminar clay material, exhibits high thixotropy when dispersed in various solvents and increases viscosity. It is used in various sectors, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and industry.

The name describes the structure of the molecule:

• Silicate refers to silicates, a class of minerals that contain silicon and oxygen, often in combination with other elements.
• Magnesium Aluminum indicates that the silicate in question contains magnesium and aluminum in its structure. This combination of elements gives the compound unique properties, such as the ability to absorb, thicken, and stabilize.

Raw Materials and Their Functions

Magnesium, Aluminum, and Silicon. Elements that, when combined, form magnesium aluminum silicate. Each of these elements contributes to specific physical and chemical properties of the final compound.

Industrial Chemical Synthesis of Magnesium Aluminum Silicate

• Combination and Melting the combination of minerals containing magnesium, aluminum, and silicon. These materials are then melted together at high temperatures to form magnesium aluminum silicate.
• Reaction Control. The melting reaction is monitored to ensure that the combination of minerals occurs correctly and the final product has the desired properties.
• Cooling and Crushing. After melting, the compound is cooled and then crushed into a powder to facilitate its use in various applications.
• Quality Control. Magnesium aluminum silicate undergoes quality checks to ensure it meets the required standards. After quality control, it is packaged for use as an additive in cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and personal care products.

Form and Color

 Magnesium Aluminum Silicate is typically a solid in the form of fine powder. This compound is usually white or slightly yellowish.

What it is used for and where

Cosmetics

Absorbent. Absorbs substances dispersed or dissolved in aqueous solutions, water/oil, oil/water.

Anticaking agent. This compound facilitates free flow and prevents aggregation or clumping of substances in a formulation by reducing the tendency of certain particles to stick together.

Opacifying agent. It is useful into formulations that may be translucent or transparent to make them opaque and less permeable to light.

Surfactant - Suspending agent. Cosmetic or pharmaceutical suspensions are known to be thermodynamically unstable and it is therefore essential to include in the formulation a suspending agent capable of dispersing any sedimented particulates and reducing the rate of sedimentation. The presence of this agent increases the consistency of the suspension medium and exerts a protective colloidal action with a surfactant action.

EC number 215-478-8

CAS: 1327-43-1

Safety

Aluminium can interfere with different biological processes (cellular oxidative stress, calcium metabolism, etc.), so it can induce toxic effects in different organs and systems, and the nervous system is the main target of its toxicity.

Careful consideration should be given to the risk of cumulative aluminum intake, which cannot be ruled out because this ingredient can be found in both cosmetic products and widely consumed food products such as bread, various baked goods (1).

References_____________________________________________________________________

(1) Tietz, T., Lenzner, A., Kolbaum, A.E. et al. Aggregated aluminium exposure: risk assessment for the general population. Arch Toxicol 93, 3503–3521 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00204-019-02599-z

 Abstract. Aluminium is one of the most abundant elements in earth’s crust and its manifold uses result in an exposure of the population from many sources. Developmental toxicity, effects on the urinary tract and neurotoxicity are known effects of aluminium and its compounds. Here, we assessed the health risks resulting from total consumer exposure towards aluminium and various aluminium compounds, including contributions from foodstuffs, food additives, food contact materials (FCM), and cosmetic products. For the estimation of aluminium contents in foodstuff, data from the German “Pilot-Total-Diet-Study” were used, which was conducted as part of the European TDS-Exposure project. These were combined with consumption data from the German National Consumption Survey II to yield aluminium exposure via food for adults. It was found that the average weekly aluminium exposure resulting from food intake amounts to approx. 50% of the tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of 1 mg/kg body weight (bw)/week, derived by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). For children, data from the French “Infant Total Diet Study” and the “Second French Total Diet Study” were used to estimate aluminium exposure via food. As a result, the TWI can be exhausted or slightly exceeded—particularly for infants who are not exclusively breastfed and young children relying on specially adapted diets (e.g. soy-based, lactose free, hypoallergenic). When taking into account the overall aluminium exposure from foods, cosmetic products (cosmetics), pharmaceuticals and FCM from uncoated aluminium, a significant exceedance of the EFSA-derived TWI and even the PTWI of 2 mg/kg bw/week, derived by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives, may occur. Specifically, high exposure levels were found for adolescents aged 11–14 years. Although exposure data were collected with special regard to the German population, it is also representative for European and comparable to international consumers. From a toxicological point of view, regular exceedance of the lifetime tolerable aluminium intake (TWI/PTWI) is undesirable, since this results in an increased risk for health impairments. Consequently, recommendations on how to reduce overall aluminium exposure are given.

Wong, W.W., Chung, S.W., Kwong, K.P., Yin Ho, Y. and Xiao, Y., 2010. Dietary exposure to aluminium of the Hong Kong population. Food Additives and Contaminants, 27(4), pp.457-463.

Bratakos, S.M., Lazou, A.E., Bratakos, M.S. and Lazos, E.S., 2012. Aluminium in food and daily dietary intake estimate in Greece. Food Additives and Contaminants: Part B, 5(1), pp.33-44.