Sodium Benzote

TL;DR. This ingredient is a water-soluble preservative used mainly to control yeasts, molds, and some bacteria. It is most useful in acidic formulas such as shampoos, cleansers, lotions, and oral-care products.

What does Sodium Benzote do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is a water-soluble preservative used mainly to control yeasts, molds, and some bacteria. It is most useful in acidic formulas such as shampoos, cleansers, lotions, and oral-care products.

Is Sodium Benzote clean?

It is generally accepted in clean-beauty frameworks as a low-use preservative with a long safety record. Sensitivity is uncommon, and formulators pay attention to pH, metals, light, and heat because certain trace aromatic byproducts can form under unfavorable conditions.

Is Sodium Benzote sustainable?

This material is commonly made synthetically from petrochemical feedstocks, although related compounds occur naturally in some plants. It is water soluble, not expected to bioaccumulate, and is generally readily biodegradable.

Is Sodium Benzote COSMOS-approved?

It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic as an approved preservative when used within regulatory limits. Its Green Chemistry fit is mixed-to-good, with low effective dose and biodegradability as positives, while the common feedstock route is not strongly renewable.

How does Sodium Benzote work chemically?

Chemically, this compound is a small, water-soluble aromatic carboxylate salt that dissociates readily in water. It performs best in acidic systems, commonly below pH 5.5, where more of the preservative is in its protonated form; typical cosmetic use is about 0.25 to 1.0%, often paired with chelators or co-preservatives.

Last updated 2026-05-14