Ingredients Include: Sodium Benzoate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a preservative used to help control yeast, mold, and some bacteria in water-based products. It is most effective in acidic formulas, so it is often paired with pH adjustment and complementary preservative systems.
What does Ingredients Include: Sodium Benzoate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a preservative used to help control yeast, mold, and some bacteria in water-based products. It is most effective in acidic formulas, so it is often paired with pH adjustment and complementary preservative systems.
Is Ingredients Include: Sodium Benzoate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is widely accepted and generally well tolerated at allowed use levels. The main formulation caveat is that it works best at low pH, and trace benzene formation has been reported in certain vitamin C systems under heat and light stress.
Is Ingredients Include: Sodium Benzoate sustainable?
This material is typically made through conventional chemical synthesis, though its chemistry is simple and it does not require animal sourcing. It is readily biodegradable and is not known for bioaccumulation in normal cosmetic use.
Is Ingredients Include: Sodium Benzoate COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic as an approved preservative, subject to standard concentration and formula requirements. Its Green Chemistry fit is solid on biodegradability and low use level, with a weaker score on renewable feedstock when made from petrochemical inputs.
How does Ingredients Include: Sodium Benzoate work chemically?
The molecule is a small aromatic carboxylate salt that becomes more preservative-active as the formula pH drops, especially around pH 5.5 and below. Typical cosmetic use is about 0.1% to 1.0%, often with other preservatives or chelators to broaden coverage and improve reliability.
Last updated 2026-05-16