Safety comes first with clays and charcoal. Explore each clay, charcoal and related earth: what it is, how it is used on skin, on teeth and in medicine, what studies in people have and have not found (and what was only in the lab), and what to check before you use it: lead and other metals, medicines it can bind, breathing in dust, swallowing, pregnancy and children. Activated charcoal is a hospital poison treatment, and the popular detox claims have little support in human research.
Used: on the skin, swallowed or eaten, medical or hospital use
Studied in people for: binding food toxins (aflatoxin)
Lead, arsenic or other metalsSwallowing is not a home remedyBinds medicines (interactions)Pregnancy and breastfeeding+1 more
Bentonite clay for skin masks and for swallowing: what a 2024 review and case reports show, why detox claims are unsupported, and what the sources say about lead and metals.
Swallowing for 'detox': claim check
Clay masks and skin (oil, inflammation, wound healing)
Refined calcium montmorillonite and aflatoxin exposure in children
Calcium montmorillonite in medicine (narrative review)
Human evidence: Mostly traditional or marketing claims
Used: on the skin, medical or hospital use, swallowed or eaten
Swallowing is not a home remedyDust can harm the lungsPregnancy and breastfeedingEating earth (pica) and anemia
Kaolin clay on skin, in the digestive tract and in clay eating: what FDA's rule allows, what reviews found, and the powder warnings and anemia case reports.
Skin protectant (poison ivy and similar rashes): regulatory listing
Human evidence: Established for a specific medical use
Used: medical or hospital use, swallowed or eaten, in the mouth (toothpaste, rinse, gargle), household or cleaning
Studied in people for: poisoning (hospital treatment), gas, bloating and digestion, teeth whitening and mouth, kidney disease (medical carbon)
Swallowing is not a home remedyBinds medicines (interactions)Breathing into the lungs or chokingTooth enamel wear
Activated charcoal is a hospital poison treatment, not a home remedy. What poison centers, toxicology bodies and reviews say about detox, gas, teeth and medicines.
Human evidence: Mostly traditional or marketing claims
Used: household or cleaning, industrial, animal or pool use, on the skin, swallowed or eaten
Dust can harm the lungsSkin irritation or allergyEyes
Diatomaceous earth checked against sources: what it is, the breathing hazard from fine dust and crystalline silica, why "food grade" is not a health claim, and what was found on parasite cleanses.
Used: swallowed or eaten, industrial, animal or pool use
Lead, arsenic or other metals
What fulvic and humic acids are, where products come from, what lab, animal and human studies show, and why composition and metal content differ between products.
Fulvic or humic acid taken for any condition in people
Binding metals: 'removes heavy metals' claim check
Combination supplement in a nursing-home COVID-19 chart review
Lead, arsenic or other metalsSwallowing is not a home remedyDust can harm the lungsSkin irritation or allergy
French green clay (illite-smectite): what lab studies show, why mask and detox claims lack human trials, and the metals and dust cautions found in the sources.
Human evidence: Mostly traditional or marketing claims
Used: on the skin, household or cleaning
Lead, arsenic or other metalsDust can harm the lungsSkin irritation or allergySwallowing is not a home remedy
Rhassoul (ghassoul) clay from Morocco: what it is made of, what we found on skin and hair claims (little), a small ostomy case series, and mercury and swallowing cautions.
Used: on the skin, medical or hospital use, industrial, animal or pool use
Lead, arsenic or other metalsDust can harm the lungsSwallowing is not a home remedySkin irritation or allergy
Fuller's earth: an adsorbent clay used in industry and in chemical-skin-decontamination research; what we found on face-mask and detox claims, paraquat, and dust and metal cautions.
Skin decontamination after chemical exposure
Water suspensions versus dry powder (lab work)
Face masks and oily skin: seller claims
Swallowed to adsorb poison (paraquat): hospital use only
Lead, arsenic or other metalsDust can harm the lungsSwallowing is not a home remedyPregnancy and breastfeeding
Illite clay on skin and in "detox" claims: two small skin studies, no proof it removes toxins, metal and dust cautions, and why eating clay is not safe.
Illite face packs and oily skin (on the skin)
Illite extract in a lotion and skin barrier (on the skin)
Kaolinite (pink clay as labeled by sellers), illite (one red clay studied), iron oxides (colorant)
Human evidence: Mostly traditional or marketing claims
Used: on the skin
Lead, arsenic or other metalsDust can harm the lungsSwallowing is not a home remedyPregnancy and breastfeeding
Red and pink clay face masks: what gives them color, why no skin trial was found, metal and dust cautions, and why swallowing clay for a "detox" is not safe.
Face masks for sensitive or dull skin (seller claim)
Mineral-rich lake-shore mud (varies; no single mineral)
Human evidence: Human trials with mixed results
Used: on the skin, bath or soak, medical or hospital use
Studied in people for: joint pain (mud packs), skin and face masks
Lead, arsenic or other metalsSwallowing is not a home remedySkin irritation or allergy
Dead Sea mud for skin and joints: what trials found for knee osteoarthritis, why detox and mineral claims are unproven, and a 2026 study that found metals in some mud products.
Mud packs for knee osteoarthritis (on the skin, many muds)
Dead Sea treatment programs for rheumatic disease and psoriasis
Mud-based preparations (clay or fine solids plus mineral, sea or salt-lake water)
Human evidence: Human trials with mixed results
Used: on the skin, bath or soak, medical or hospital use
Studied in people for: joint pain (mud packs), skin and face masks
Skin irritation or allergy
Peloids are therapeutic muds used as warm packs and baths in spas. See what trials show for knee osteoarthritis, what is unproven for skin and detox, and the safety points.
Mud packs and baths for knee osteoarthritis (warm mud, spa or clinic)
Spa therapy that includes mud, for knee osteoarthritis
Montmorillonite, smectite clay (calcium or sodium montmorillonite)
Human evidence: Very few human studies
Used: on the skin, swallowed or eaten, medical or hospital use, industrial, animal or pool use
Studied in people for: binding food toxins (aflatoxin)
Lead, arsenic or other metalsSwallowing is not a home remedyBinds medicines (interactions)Dust can harm the lungs+1 more
Montmorillonite clay on skin and by mouth: what reviews and one children's trial found, why detox claims lack proof, and the lead, medicine and poison-help facts.
Clay face masks and skin (on the skin)
Swallowing for detox: claim check
Binding metals and toxins in lab tests
Calcium montmorillonite and aflatoxin exposure in children
Used: medical or hospital use, industrial, animal or pool use, on the skin
Studied in people for: diarrhea (medical clays)
Dust can harm the lungs
Attapulgite (palygorskite) clay: a former US anti-diarrhea ingredient with small, mixed trials, an IARC fiber-length warning, and no sourced support for detox claims.
Acute diarrhea medicine in adults (activated attapulgite tablets)
Acute diarrhea in infants and children (medicine, older studies)
Used: swallowed or eaten, medical or hospital use, industrial, animal or pool use, on the skin
Studied in people for: detox and heavy-metal claims, poisoning (hospital treatment)
Lead, arsenic or other metalsBinds medicines (interactions)Dust can harm the lungsSwallowing is not a home remedy+1 more
Zeolite (clinoptilolite) powders and supplements: one small lead-poisoning trial, thin evidence for detox claims, FDA warning letters, and medicine and dust cautions.
Heavy-metal removal and detox: claim check
Lead poisoning: tablets added to standard care (one trial)
Supplement safety trials of one micronized clinoptilolite
Tooth enamel wearSwallowing is not a home remedyBinds medicines (interactions)
Charcoal toothpaste and whitening powder checked against dental trials and lab studies: whitening is minor, many products lack fluoride, and enamel wear results are mixed.
Charcoal toothpaste and powder for whitening teeth: claim check
Used: swallowed or eaten, household or cleaning, industrial, animal or pool use
Studied in people for: kidney disease (medical carbon), cholesterol
Swallowing is not a home remedyBinds medicines (interactions)Lead, arsenic or other metalsBreathing into the lungs or choking
Bamboo charcoal as a food color, "detox" product and wellness powder: the animal and lab findings, one small kidney trial, and what regulators say about impurities.
Carbon from Cocos nucifera shell, coconut shell activated carbon
Human evidence: Mostly traditional or marketing claims
Used: household or cleaning, medical or hospital use, on the skin, industrial, animal or pool use
Studied in people for: poisoning (hospital treatment), teeth whitening and mouth
Swallowing is not a home remedyBinds medicines (interactions)Breathing into the lungs or chokingLead, arsenic or other metals+1 more
Coconut shell charcoal and activated carbon: what it is, why it is used in water filters, and why hospital poison use does not support a home detox claim.
Drinking-water filters: taste, smell and certified lead reduction
Swallowing for detox: claim check
Hospital poison treatment (activated charcoal, not coconut-specific)
No clay or charcoal matches all of these filters. Try removing one. Some topics (for example most herbs) are not clays and charcoals and live elsewhere on the site.
"Studied for" means a study in people exists, not that the material works: many studies are small, short or tested a specific medical product, not the wellness product on a shelf. "Evidence in people" describes the overall picture, and "Mostly traditional or marketing claims" means we found no human trials for the popular claims. "Check before you use" lists cautions a source we read raised. It is not a complete list, so ask a pharmacist or clinician if you take medicines, are pregnant, or have a health condition.
A link between a clay or charcoal and a topic means the body needs the clay or charcoal for that job, or that low intake is linked to it. It does not mean extra supplements help if your intake is already adequate. See each page’s evidence label.
Browse by clay or charcoal group
Healing clays and muds
Bentonite, kaolin, French green, rhassoul and other clays and muds used on the skin and in baths. Most claims here are about skin care, not detox.
▸Someone has collapsed, has a seizure, trouble breathing or cannot be woken: call your emergency number now (911 in the US).
▸Swallowed something that may be harmful: US Poison Help 1-800-222-1222. Call first. Activated charcoal is a clinician-directed treatment, not a home step. Do not make the person vomit.
Detox and cleanse claims checked: what NIH's NCCIH found, what the liver and kidneys already do, and why charcoal, clay and cleanse products raise safety questions.
Bentonite clay swallowing claims checked: no human evidence found for "detox", documented lead and arsenic in some healing clays, clay-eating risks in pregnancy, and medicine questions to a…
Charcoal toothpaste, charcoal detox pills and charcoal for gas, checked against dental reviews, NIH and poison-center sources, with what charcoal can do to your medicines.
If someone may have swallowed a poison or too much medicine, call Poison Help first. Why activated charcoal is a clinician-directed treatment and not a home step.
Clays, hydrogen peroxide, colloidal silver, baking soda, Epsom salt and charcoal are promoted online for swallowing; here is what poison and health sources say, and who to call.
What published testing found about lead, cadmium and arsenic in cocoa, seaweed, clays and shilajit, why results vary, and who should be most careful. No brands.
What sources document about vinegar, charcoal, clay, silver, baking soda, Epsom salt and black seed alongside medicines, and what to ask a pharmacist. Gaps are stated.
Clays & Muds(8)French green, rhassoul, fuller's earth, illite, red and pink clay, montmorillonite, Dead Sea mud and mud therapy: one guide each, with what sources found for skin and what they did not.
French green clay (illite-smectite): what lab studies show, why mask and detox claims lack human trials, and the metals and dust cautions found in the sources.
Rhassoul (ghassoul) clay from Morocco: what it is made of, what we found on skin and hair claims (little), a small ostomy case series, and mercury and swallowing caution…
Fuller's earth: an adsorbent clay used in industry and in chemical-skin-decontamination research; what we found on face-mask and detox claims, paraquat, and dust and met…
Illite clay on skin and in "detox" claims: two small skin studies, no proof it removes toxins, metal and dust cautions, and why eating clay is not safe.
Red and pink clay face masks: what gives them color, why no skin trial was found, metal and dust cautions, and why swallowing clay for a "detox" is not safe.
Dead Sea mud for skin and joints: what trials found for knee osteoarthritis, why detox and mineral claims are unproven, and a 2026 study that found metals in some mud pr…
Peloids are therapeutic muds used as warm packs and baths in spas. See what trials show for knee osteoarthritis, what is unproven for skin and detox, and the safety poin…
Montmorillonite clay on skin and by mouth: what reviews and one children's trial found, why detox claims lack proof, and the lead, medicine and poison-help facts.
Medical Clays(2)Diosmectite and attapulgite: clays used as anti-diarrheal medicines, and what that does and does not say about wellness clays.
Attapulgite (palygorskite) clay: a former US anti-diarrhea ingredient with small, mixed trials, an IARC fiber-length warning, and no sourced support for detox claims.
Zeolite(1)Zeolite supplements: claims checked and safety.
Zeolite (clinoptilolite) powders and supplements: one small lead-poisoning trial, thin evidence for detox claims, FDA warning letters, and medicine and dust cautions.
Charcoals(3)Charcoal toothpaste, bamboo charcoal and coconut-shell charcoal: what is known, what is claimed, and the enamel and medicine cautions.
Charcoal toothpaste and whitening powder checked against dental trials and lab studies: whitening is minor, many products lack fluoride, and enamel wear results are mixe…
Bamboo charcoal as a food color, "detox" product and wellness powder: the animal and lab findings, one small kidney trial, and what regulators say about impurities.
Coconut shell charcoal and activated carbon: what it is, why it is used in water filters, and why hospital poison use does not support a home detox claim.
Eating Clay(1)Geophagy, the old practice of eating clay or earth, and its risks.
What small human studies, mouse studies and reviews say about clay on wounds, infections and skin conditions, and why dirt in a wound is a tetanus concern.
A plain comparison of bentonite, kaolin, illite and medical smectite: what each is, what the sources we read found, and why one clay's results do not transfer to another.
NIH's NCCIH found no compelling research that detox diets eliminate toxins. [1] Our guides found no human evidence that swallowing clay or charcoal "detoxes" the body.
Is activated charcoal a home remedy?
No. Poison centers describe activated charcoal as a treatment given under clinician direction. If someone may have swallowed a poison, call Poison Help first (US 1-800-222-1222). [2]
Is it safe to swallow clay?
Harm has been reported. One case report describes severe low potassium after bentonite was given by mouth and rectum to a child. [3] Some healing clays have also been found to contain lead and arsenic; see our guide to bentonite clay and lead.
Severe hypokalemia caused by oral and rectal administration of bentonite in a pediatric patient. Pediatr Emerg Care. 2006. PubMed 16871112. Case report.
Content last updated . This section has not been medically reviewed.
Education, not medical advice. This section is for general information. It does not diagnose or treat any condition and is not a substitute for care from a qualified health professional. Natural does not automatically mean safe.
