Sea Salt/Maris Sal/Sel Marin ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used as an exfoliant, bath additive, and viscosity adjuster, especially in surfactant-based cleansers where electrolytes can thicken the formula. It can also contribute a mineral feel and mild water-binding effect in rinse-off products.
What does Sea Salt/Maris Sal/Sel Marin do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used as an exfoliant, bath additive, and viscosity adjuster, especially in surfactant-based cleansers where electrolytes can thicken the formula. It can also contribute a mineral feel and mild water-binding effect in rinse-off products.
Is Sea Salt/Maris Sal/Sel Marin clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient is generally well accepted, with no major restricted-list friction. It is usually well tolerated, though high levels can feel drying or sting on compromised skin.
Is Sea Salt/Maris Sal/Sel Marin sustainable?
This material is typically obtained by evaporating seawater, often with low processing intensity. It is inorganic rather than biodegradable, but it breaks into common naturally occurring ions and is not considered a persistence or bioaccumulation concern in typical cosmetic use.
Is Sea Salt/Maris Sal/Sel Marin COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and can be used in COSMOS-organic formulas as an approved non-organic mineral ingredient. It fits Green Chemistry well when sourced through solar evaporation or low-energy processing, with simple purification and no petrochemical feedstock.
How does Sea Salt/Maris Sal/Sel Marin work chemically?
The material is a crystalline inorganic electrolyte, mainly small ions arranged in a lattice with trace marine minerals depending on source and refinement. In cleansers it is often used around 0.5 to 3% for viscosity tuning, while scrubs and bath products can use much higher levels because the sensory or soaking effect is the point.
Last updated 2026-05-13