Sodium Shea Butterate ●
TL;DR. It functions as an anionic cleansing agent and foam builder in bar and solid cleansers, helping lift oils and soils into rinseable micelles.
What does Sodium Shea Butterate do in a cosmetic formula?
It functions as an anionic cleansing agent and foam builder in bar and solid cleansers, helping lift oils and soils into rinseable micelles.
Is Sodium Shea Butterate clean?
Clean-beauty frameworks generally view this ingredient as acceptable and familiar, with little restricted-list friction. The main caveat is performance-related skin feel, since high-pH cleansing systems can be drying or irritating for some users.
Is Sodium Shea Butterate sustainable?
This material is plant-derived and readily biodegradable after use. Its sustainability profile depends on responsible crop sourcing, fair-trade practices, and traceable supply chains for the underlying plant butter.
Is Sodium Shea Butterate COSMOS-approved?
It is generally permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards when made from allowed natural feedstocks and compliant processing aids. It fits Green Chemistry well on renewability and biodegradability, although its alkaline manufacturing step and high-pH end use are practical caveats.
How does Sodium Shea Butterate work chemically?
Chemically, this material is a mixed set of C16 to C18 fatty-acid carboxylate salts produced when plant-butter triglycerides are fully saponified, with stearate and oleate fractions typically prominent. Use level is formula-dependent, often as part of a larger cleansing base rather than as a low-percentage additive, and it performs best at alkaline pH while losing efficiency in acidic systems or hard water.
Last updated 2026-05-15