Whitening clay, particularly when used to treat facial pigmentation, such as melasma.Bleaching clay, probably because fulling whitened the cloth.

įuller's earth is also known by the following other names: Fuller's earth is the most common spelling today, but both fullers earth and fullers' earth have been widely used. The original spelling was without an apostrophe, but the apostrophe became more common in the 19th century, both before or after the s. In past centuries, fullers kneaded fuller's earth and water into woollen cloth to absorb lanolin, oils, and other greasy impurities as part of the cloth finishing process. The English name reflects the historic use of the material for fulling (cleaning and shrinking) wool, by textile workers known as fullers. It also has a number of uses in the film industry and on stage. Minor uses include filtering, clarifying, and decolorizing active and inactive ingredient in beauty products and as a filler in paint, plaster, adhesives, and pharmaceuticals. Modern uses of fuller's earth include as absorbents for oil, grease, and animal waste (cat litter) and as a carrier for pesticides and fertilizers. Fuller's earth typically consists of palygorskite ( attapulgite) or bentonite. Fuller's earth is any clay material that has the capability to decolorize oil or other liquids without the use of harsh chemical treatment.

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