S Potassium Sorbate ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a preservative used mainly to control yeast and mold growth in water-based formulas. It is most effective in mildly acidic systems, so it often appears in shampoos, conditioners, creams, gels, and oral-care products.
What does S Potassium Sorbate do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a preservative used mainly to control yeast and mold growth in water-based formulas. It is most effective in mildly acidic systems, so it often appears in shampoos, conditioners, creams, gels, and oral-care products.
Is S Potassium Sorbate clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient is widely accepted and generally well tolerated at normal cosmetic use levels. The main formulation caveat is pH dependence, not a major restricted-list concern.
Is S Potassium Sorbate sustainable?
This material is usually made by chemical synthesis rather than direct agricultural extraction. It is readily biodegradable and is not known for environmental persistence or bioaccumulation in typical personal-care use.
Is S Potassium Sorbate COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards as an allowed preservative when used within the standard’s conditions. Its Green Chemistry profile is strongest on biodegradability and low use level, with a weaker score on renewable feedstock because common production is synthetic.
How does S Potassium Sorbate work chemically?
The molecule is a water-soluble potassium carboxylate with a conjugated unsaturated carbon chain, and preservation comes from the protonated acid form that predominates at lower pH. Typical cosmetic use is about 0.1% to 0.3%, with best performance below pH 6 and stronger results when paired with chelators or broader-spectrum preservative partners.
Last updated 2026-05-13