Benzisothiazolinone ●
TL;DR. This ingredient functions as a preservative, mainly controlling bacteria and fungi in water-based formulas and in raw-material blends.
What does Benzisothiazolinone do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient functions as a preservative, mainly controlling bacteria and fungi in water-based formulas and in raw-material blends.
Is Benzisothiazolinone clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has significant friction because it is a well-known skin sensitizer and is commonly flagged by retailer and certification restricted lists. It is more often associated with household and industrial preservation than leave-on beauty formulas.
Is Benzisothiazolinone sustainable?
This material is synthetic and typically made from petrochemical feedstocks. It is not a major persistence concern compared with silicones or fluorinated materials, but its aquatic-organism profile gives it a weaker environmental fit.
Is Benzisothiazolinone COSMOS-approved?
It is not aligned with COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic preservation rules and is not a typical permitted preservative under those standards. Its petrochemical origin and sensitization profile also make it a poor fit with Green Chemistry preferences for low-hazard, biodegradable preservation systems.
How does Benzisothiazolinone work chemically?
The molecule is a sulfur- and nitrogen-containing bicyclic heteroaromatic preservative that works by reacting with microbial enzymes and disrupting cell metabolism. In regulated use where allowed, it is used at very low levels, and formulators manage it carefully because sensitization potential rises with exposure and leave-on contact.
Last updated 2026-05-13