COSMETICS & PERSONAL CARE
Norwalk, Connecticut, USA · Founded 1916 · Part of R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company
Mineral rheology, made reproducible.
Natural rheology modifiers have a reputation for inconsistency. Vanderbilt Minerals addresses this through water-washed, purified smectite clays supplied to controlled specifications, grade by grade, with specifications designed to support consistent dispersion and formulation performance.
The company has supplied the personal care, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries for more than sixty years, from a mineral base that goes back to 1916. VEEGUM® Magnesium Aluminum Silicate and VANATURAL® Bentonite Clay are established mineral rheology modifiers and stabilisers used across personal care applications.
- Cosmetics & Personal Care
Over 400 mineral salts and more than 7,000 specifications. The specification count is the more meaningful number: it is the measure of how far a grade can be tailored.
ABOUT THIS PRINCIPAL
A century of mineral processing, applied to skin.
Vanderbilt Minerals began in 1916 when Robert Thurlow Vanderbilt sold clay to paper mills from an office in New York City. The company has mineral mining and processing capabilities, supporting control over aspects of mineral purification and grade specification. These controls are intended to support consistent quality and formulation performance across applicable grades.
The personal care portfolio is deliberately narrow and deep. Rather than a broad speciality catalogue, it is a set of closely specified grades of three chemistries: magnesium aluminum silicate, bentonite, and xanthan gum, each offered in variants tuned for pH range, electrolyte tolerance, hydration speed, and certification status.
Clay and gum together outperform either alone. The synergy between a purified smectite and xanthan is one of the most reliable stabilisation tools available to a natural formulator.
ADCHEM distributes the Vanderbilt Minerals personal care range with dispersion and grade selection support from our own formulation laboratories, including dispersion and preparation guidance, where appropriate, based on the formulation requirements and laboratory evaluation.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY
Why purified smectite behaves differently.
The performance of a mineral rheology modifier is decided by purification and grade control, not by the mineral name on the label.
PURIFICATION
Water-washed smectite
Water washing and purification can reduce unwanted mineral components and help provide more controlled mineral characteristics. The resulting smectite structure contributes to rheology, suspension and stabilisation performance when properly dispersed.
SYNERGY
Clay and gum systems
Smectite clays can be used in combination with xanthan and other gums to provide complementary thickening, stabilising and suspending properties. The appropriate combination depends on the formulation and target performance.
GRADE DESIGN
pH and electrolyte tailoring
VEEGUM Ultra is designed for dispersion in acidic formulations, with supplier-specified performance in the applicable pH range, while VEEGUM HS is built for maximum electrolyte stability and minimum acid demand.
SENSORY
Tack removal
Purified smectites can contribute to sensory modification and may help balance the feel of formulations containing gums and polymers, depending on the formulation system. In natural formulation this is often the deciding factor rather than the viscosity number.
Portfolio
The Vanderbilt Minerals personal care portfolio.
Three chemistries, supplied as closely specified grades.
VEEGUM R
What it is
The Magnesium aluminum silicate grade for general-purpose rheology modification and stabilisation; certification status depends on the applicable grade and market.; NATRUE approved
Primary Use
General purpose emulsion and suspension stabilisation across skin care and personal care
VEEGUM HV
What it is
High-viscosity magnesium aluminum silicate grade for rheology modification and emulsion or suspension stabilisation
Primary Use
Creams, lotions, and suspensions where efficiency at low addition matters
VEEGUM HS
What it is
Maximum electrolyte stability with minimum acid demand and relatively low viscosity contribution
Primary Use
Hair care with conditioning agents, face masks, high-load cleansing systems
VEEGUM CH
What it is
Fine powder grade suitable for high pH systems and for dry powder addition
Primary Use
Dry powder formulations, depilatories, high pH aqueous systems
VEEGUM Ultra
What it is
Acidic smectite dispersing in the 4.2 to 5.2 pH range; the easiest grade to hydrate, uniquely white
Primary Use
Sunscreens, acne treatments, exfoliants, and any low pH formulation
VEEGUM Pure
What it is
General-purpose grade available for natural and organic cosmetic formulations, with applicable certification or listing depending on the market and grade.
Primary Use
Certified natural and organic skin care
VEEGUM D
What it is
Dental care grade giving stable, short paste or gel structure with good brush stand-up and rinseability
Primary Use
Dentifrices and oral care, with minimal inhibition of fluoride recovery
VAN GEL range
What it is
Magnesium aluminum silicate grades for rheology control and stabilisation
Primary Use
Suspension and emulsion systems across personal care and adjacent applications
VANATURAL Bentonite Clay
What it is
Rapidly hydrating, water-washed bentonite; OMRI listed and Ecocert Greenlife authorised
Primary Use
Natural and organic topical products requiring fast dispersion and hydration
VANATURAL XGB
What it is
Bentonite grade authorised under Ecocert and COSMOS standards
Primary Use
Certified organic emulsion and suspension stabilisation
VANZAN xanthan gum
What it is
Xanthan gum grades including USP/NF compliant material, with rheology stable across a broad temperature range
Primary Use
Thickening and suspension, used alone or synergistically with the clay grades
VANZAN NF-F
What it is
Finely ground xanthan grade conforming to the USP/NF xanthan gum monograph
Primary Use
Tablets, reconstitutable powders, and dry powder formulations
APPLICATION AREAS
Where Vanderbilt chemistry performs.
Emulsion and suspension stabilisation
A key application area. Purified smectite can be used alone or in combination with xanthan and other gums to support emulsion and suspension stabilisation in natural and conventional formulations.
VEEGUM R
VEEGUM HV
VANZAN
Pressed powders and colour
The structure of selected clay grades can contribute to binding, rheology and sensory properties in pressed powder and colour cosmetic formulations.
VEEGUM CH
VANATURAL
Breakthrough in Face Masks & Treatment Formats
Traditional masks often clog pores and strip away moisture. Veegum's charged mineral structure enables easy removal, deep cleansing, and hydration, making it ideal for acne-prone skin. It also serves as both the rheology modifier and an active part of the product concept in clay masks, instant masks, and cleansing treatments.
VEEGUM HS
VANATURAL
Low pH & Sensitive Skin Formulations
VEEGUM Ultra is designed for use in acidic formulation systems and may be suitable for selected low-pH applications, which suits acid treatments, exfoliants, and acne formats.
VEEGUM ULTRA
Sun Care Formulations
Provides outstanding mineral stabilization in high-solids sunscreen systems containing inorganic UV filters, where high electrolyte and pigment loads often reduce the effectiveness of conventional polymers.
VEEGUM ULTRA
VEEGUM HS
Oral Care Applications
A dedicated dental-grade Veegum engineered for toothpaste and oral care formulations. It provides excellent paste structure, brush stand-up, controlled flavour release, and compatibility with fluoride-containing systems.
VEEGUM D
DOCUMENTATION TO BE HELD
Documentation that supports your submission, not just your specification.
Applicable Vanderbilt grades can be supported with technical, safety, regulatory and certification documentation required for relevant cosmetic product safety assessments, product information files and certification submissions. Documentation availability depends on the specific grade and market.
This principal supplies into both segments, so both documentation sets apply. Which set is required depends on the grade being purchased and the dosage form or product type it is going into.
Technical and quality
- Technical Data Sheet (TDS)
- Product specification sheet with agreed release limits
- Certificate of Analysis (CoA), batch specific
- Safety Data Sheet (SDS / MSDS) in the language of the destination market
- Stability data and formulation compatibility guidance
- Recommended use levels, incorporation and processing instructions
- Physical characterisation data: appearance, pH, viscosity, particle size where relevant
Composition and safety
- INCI information and applicable composition or ingredient disclosure documentation, subject to supplier confidentiality requirements.
- Available efficacy, technical and supporting study documentation, where applicable to the grade and intended use.
- Allergen declaration covering the EU listed fragrance allergens
- Heavy metals and trace impurity statement
- Nanomaterial status statement
- Microbiological specification, and preservative efficacy data where applicable
- 1,4-dioxane, nitrosamine and other process impurity statements where the chemistry requires it
Efficacy and claim support
- In vitro study reports
- Ex vivo and in vivo study reports for actives
- Claim substantiation package mapped to the claims the brand intends to make
- Mechanism of action summary
- Marketing concept and formulation starter material
Certification and origin- Applicable certifications and declarations may include:
- COSMOS and Ecocert certificates for certified grades
- NATRUE certificate where held
- Vegan declaration
- Halal certificate
- Kosher certificate where required by the market
- RSPO certification for palm-derived material
- ISO 16128 natural origin index calculation
- Country of origin declaration
- GMO-free statement
- BSE / TSE-free declaration
Applicable regulatory and market-access documentation may include
- Applicable manufacturing quality or GMP documentation, where relevant to the grade and manufacturing site
- REACH registration status statement
- China regulatory status or applicable inventory/compliance documentation, where relevant to the grade
- Compliance statement against the restricted and prohibited substance annexes of the destination market
- Microplastic status statement, where applicable
- Animal testing position statement
- Change notification and supply continuity commitment
WORKING WITH ADCHEM
What ADCHEM adds to the Vanderbilt Minerals relationship.
SPECIFICATION-LED
Grade selection, done properly
Grade selection is an important factor in successful VEEGUM formulation development. Our laboratory team evaluates the grade against formulation parameters such as pH, electrolyte load, processing conditions and dispersion requirements before scale-up.
PROCESS SUPPORT
Dispersion protocol support
Mineral rheology fails at the dispersion step more often than at the formulation step. Our laboratories supply and validate the preparation protocol alongside the material.
COSMOS-COMPATIBLE
Natural chassis development
Clay and gum systems can be developed and evaluated in our laboratories for natural-formulation requirements and target sensory characteristics, with certification suitability assessed according to the selected ingredients and target market
AUTO-ATTACHED VIA COSMO
Full documentation with every sample
Available technical, safety and applicable certification documentation can be provided with the sample or through COSMO, subject to the selected grade and document availability.
On this page
Quick facts
HEADQUARTERS
Norwalk, Connecticut, USA
FOUNDED
1916, as R.T. Vanderbilt Company
PARENT
R.T. Vanderbilt Holding Company, Inc.
SEGMENT
Natural rheology control, emulsion and suspension stabilisation
MANUFACTURING
Company-owned mining and processing operations across multiple US states
COMPENDIAL STATUS
Selected grades available with USP/NF compendial compliance, where applicable
CERTIFICATIONS
Selected grades are available with applicable certifications, listings or approvals, including OMRI, Ecocert Greenlife, COSMOS and NATRUE, where applicable.
Natural rheology that behaves the same way every batch.
Three ways to start: a sample, a specification sheet, or a conversation with a specialist who will ask how you disperse before recommending a grade.
Request a Sample
Any product in the portfolio
Request Technical Data
Full technical library
Talk to Our Specialist
Someone who knows the chemistry first
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