Bentonite Clay for Insect Bite Relief

Research suggests that bentonite clay has been explored in the context of venomous insect and arachnid stings, though the available evidence is very limited and indirect. A single 1998 animal study found that bentonite was useful as an immune adjuvant — a substance that boosts the immune response — when developing an antiserum against red scorpion venom, with the resulting antiserum proving effective at neutralizing venom in mice, guinea pigs, dogs, and langurs. Importantly, this research did not test bentonite clay as a topical remedy applied directly to stings or bites, but rather as a laboratory tool to aid antibody production, meaning the findings do not directly support its common folk use as a drawing or soothing agent for insect bites. Overall, the current published evidence base is too narrow and methodologically distant from real-world topical use to draw meaningful conclusions about bentonite clay's effectiveness for insect bite relief.