Solum Fullonum, also known as Fuller's Earth, is a naturally occurring clay material composed primarily of montmorillonite and other clay minerals. This ingredient is widely used in cosmetics and personal care products for its absorbent, purifying, and detoxifying properties.
Chemical Composition and Structure:
- Composition: Composed mainly of alumina (Al2O3) and silica (SiO2), with varying amounts of iron oxide (Fe2O3) and other minerals.
- Structure: The layered structure of clay minerals allows for high absorption capacity and ion exchange properties, making it effective in drawing out impurities.
Physical Properties:
- Appearance: A fine, light beige to gray powder.
- Odor: Typically odorless or has a faint earthy scent.
- Solubility: Insoluble in water; it can form a paste or suspension when mixed with water or other liquids.
Production Process:
- Mining: The clay is extracted from natural deposits through open-pit mining methods.
- Processing: The extracted clay is washed, dried, and milled to achieve the desired particle size.
- Purification: The clay is purified to remove any impurities and contaminants.
- Packaging: The processed Solum Fullonum is packaged for use in various cosmetic formulations.
Applications:
- Medical: Used in some medicinal products for its absorbent properties, particularly in treating oily skin and acne.
- Cosmetics: Commonly included in face masks, cleansers, and powders for its ability to absorb excess oil, impurities, and toxins from the skin.
INCI Functions:
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.
Bulking agent. It regulates the water content, dilutes other solids, can increase the volume of a product for better flow, acts as a buffer against organic acids, helps to keep the pH of the mixture within a certain level.
Gel former. It acts as a viscosity enhancer to increase gel stability and is evenly distributed on a molecular scale as it can be engineered by the chemist at the molecular level. Definitely recommended in depilatories, foam baths.
Opacifying agent. It is useful into formulations that may be translucent or transparent to make them opaque and less permeable to light.
CAS: 8031-18-3
EC number 310-127-6
Environmental and Safety Considerations:
Generally regarded as safe for topical application, however it should be used in accordance with established guidelines to avoid potential allergic reactions or skin irritations. People with allergies or very sensitive skin should be careful. It is important to ensure that the extract is sustainably sourced and free from harmful chemicals.
References__________________________________________________________________________
Bhuwaneswari, S., Balamurugan, A., & Prakash, N. U. (2013). An Assessment of Fungal Quality of Solumfullonum–A Cosmetic Base. Indian Journal of Applied Microbiology, 16(1), 55-61.
Abstract. Solum fullonum, Fuller’s earth, or non-plastic variety of kaolin, commonly dubbed “Multanimitti” in India, is a compound known for its absorptive characteristics and purifying properties. Such qualities have made the compound suitable for use in cosmetic formulations. Further, this is also used for consumption, i.e. as Geophagic material in Pakistan for ailing women and kids. Despite this, studies related to quality assessment of the compound in regard to its microbial contamination have not been carried till date. The present study is such an attempt that focuses on the diversity and frequency of contamination of mycofloral species. A total of 26 random brands of multani mitti samples were collected across the city of Chennai, India. The acquired samples were then serially diluted and observed separately for mycofloral presence by pour plate method in a Sabouraud’s Dextrose Agar medium amended with Streptomycin as an antibacterial agent. Apart from morphospecies a total of 20 species belonging to 10 genera classified under four taxonomic classes were observed. Total average of 31.21 × 102 CFU/gm of the sample was recorded from the samples of Multani mitti. The presence of fungi ranges from 3.66 × 102 CFU/gm to 118 × 102 CFU/gm of the sample. The fungus, Aspergillus niger, showed 100% occurrence in the collected samples, followed by Aspergillus nidulans and Aspergillus flavus with a frequency of occurrence of about 69.2% and 61.5% respectively. The factorsthat have contributed to the outcome and its possible impact on human health will be discussed.
Viseras, C., Sánchez-Espejo, R., Palumbo, R., Liccardi, N., García-Villén, F., Borrego-Sánchez, A., M. Massaro, S.Riela & López-Galindo, A. (2021). Clays in cosmetics and personal-care products. Clays and Clay Minerals, 69(5), 561-575.
Abstract. Clays are used in various cosmetic formulations, such as sunscreens, toothpastes, deodorants, creams, hair cosmetics, makeups, nail polish, facial masks, and shampoos, among others, to improve the organoleptic and physicochemical characteristics, to increase the stability, or to facilitate elaboration. Together with their technological functionalities, clays are cosmetologically active ingredients with cleaning, anti-aging, anti-wrinkling, and sun-care functionalities. Talc, kaolinite, mica, and some smectites are the clay minerals used most frequently in cosmetic products, but several other phyllosilicates as well as modified and synthetic clays are also used. Sometimes, clays are useful in the design of cosmetics just because they are made of rigid, small, and anisometric particles. Kaolinite and mica are made of hard prismatic particles which are lightly abrasive over the skin, teeth, or hair. Electric charges in smectites result in ion-exchange capacities useful in the loading of active cosmetics but also adsorbing and cleaning waste substances. Intermediate net negative charges of smectites result in layer expansion in polar media and specific rheological properties that are very useful in cosmetic formulations. The absence of charged particles in talc and kaolin make them flow easily resulting in lubricant effects. Protection against radiation from the sun by clay particles and decorative effects complete the possibilities of clays in cosmetics. The nomenclature for clays used as ingredients in cosmetics follows historical use and the names of commercial products, rather than following strict compositional principles. In this sense, an effort was made here to correlate the names of the minerals that make up each of the clay-based cosmetic ingredients.
Solum fullonum 
