Sodium Chloride ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly used as a viscosity modifier in cleansers and shampoos, especially to thicken anionic surfactant systems. It can also adjust osmotic balance, add density to bath products, and support texture in oral care or scrub formats.
What does Sodium Chloride do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is mainly used as a viscosity modifier in cleansers and shampoos, especially to thicken anionic surfactant systems. It can also adjust osmotic balance, add density to bath products, and support texture in oral care or scrub formats.
Is Sodium Chloride clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient is broadly accepted and not a common restricted-list concern. It is generally well tolerated, though high levels can feel drying or sting on compromised skin.
Is Sodium Chloride sustainable?
This material is typically mineral-derived, mined or obtained from evaporated brines, and it is abundant. It does not bioaccumulate, and the main sustainability considerations are extraction method, drying energy, and transport footprint.
Is Sodium Chloride COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS natural and organic standards as an allowed inorganic material. From a Green Chemistry view, it aligns well through simple sourcing, low chemical complexity, and no organic-pollutant persistence concern, while biodegradability is not applicable to an inorganic compound.
How does Sodium Chloride work chemically?
The molecule is a simple inorganic ionic lattice made from monovalent cations and anions in a 1:1 ratio, and it dissociates readily in water. In surfactant cleansers it is often used around 0.5% to 3%, where viscosity rises to an optimum and can thin again if the electrolyte level is pushed too high.
Last updated 2026-05-13