Liquid paraffin was added to 3 kinds of smectite dispersions containing different amount of salt to prepare emulsions. Stable emulsions were obtained when the smectite particles aggregated to make the dispersions turbid or almost were segregated with salt. Smectite and cationic cellulose were mixed and then the mixtures were investigated as salt tolerance thickener and emulsifier. The smectite-cationic polymer complex could act as thickener even if the complex dispersion contained 3 wt% of NaCl. The complex dispersion viscosity increased as the molecular weight of the added cationic polymer increased. Finer droplet emulsion was obtained with smectite-cationic cellulose complex containing 3wt% NaCl compared to the smectite emulsion.