CosmeticBet
Helpers (pH, solvents)

Sodium chloride

INCI: SODIUM CHLORIDE · also Salt, Table salt

Table salt, used to thicken shampoo-type cleansers.

How common

All products27%
In shower gels84%
In shampoos80%
In conditioners27%

4,005 of 14,784 products with a full ingredient list in Open Beauty Facts; No. 8 of all the names found on their labels.

What it is

  • Common salt: an ionic compound of sodium and chloride (NaCl).

    SourceHide
    Sodium chloride, also known as salt, common salt, table salt or halite, is an ionic compound with the chemical formula NaCl, representing a 1:1 ratio of sodium and chloride ions.[1] PubChem (US National Library of Medicine) · open source

Why it is in products

  • To thicken cleansers: in shampoo-type mixtures of cleansers, salt builds viscosity.

    2 sourcesHide
    a common personal care mixed surfactants system: anionic sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) and zwitterionic cocamidopropyl betaine (CAPB)[2] Study · 2019 · open source
    Addition of sodium chloride built the viscosity of SLES/CAPB/CCB to an extent by screening charges between surfactant head groups.[2] Study · 2019 · open source

What it does

  • It thickens by screening the electric charges between the cleansers’ heads. In one lab study (SLES and cocamidopropyl betaine with a biosurfactant), the thickest point came at 4% salt.

    Some evidence2 sourcesHide
    Addition of sodium chloride built the viscosity of SLES/CAPB/CCB to an extent by screening charges between surfactant head groups.[2] Study · 2019 · open source
    Highest viscosity of SLES/CAPB/CCB (10 wt%, 2wt% and 4wt% respectfully) was observed when sodium chloride concentration was at 4 wt%.[2] Study · 2019 · open source

  • Like other salts, it lowers the water available to germs, one way of helping to preserve a product.

    Some evidence2 sourcesHide
    certain substances can reduce the water activity (aw), such as salts[3] Study · 2018 · open source
    glyceryl polyacrylate gel, sodium polyacrylate and sodium chloride[3] Study · 2018 · open source

Where it works

Works insidethe product

In the product, where it thickens the cleansers.

Some evidenceSourceHide
Addition of sodium chloride built the viscosity of SLES/CAPB/CCB to an extent by screening charges between surfactant head groups.[2] Study · 2019 · open source

Rules

European Union

  • No EU limit: it is not on the regulation’s lists of banned or restricted substances, preservatives or UV filters.

    How we checkedHide
    We searched Annexes II to VI of the EU regulation (consolidated text of 18 May 2026): no entry.open the list

United States

  • Not on the FDA’s list of prohibited or restricted cosmetic ingredients. In the US, cosmetics and their ingredients (other than colour additives) don’t need FDA approval before sale.

    SourceHide
    Under U.S. law, cosmetic products and ingredients, other than color additives, do not need FDA approval before they go on the market[4] US Food and Drug Administration · open source
    We searched the FDA’s list of prohibited and restricted cosmetic ingredients: no entry.open the list

Sources

  1. PubChem: Sodium chloride (CID 5234), record description PubChem (US National Library of Medicine)PubChem (US National Library of Medicine)
  2. Microrheological study of ternary surfactant-biosurfactant mixtures Xu L et al., International journal of cosmetic science, 2019Study
  3. Cosmetics Preservation: A Review on Present Strategies Molecules : A Journal of Synthetic Chemistry and Natural Product Chemistry, 2018Study
  4. Prohibited & Restricted Ingredients in Cosmetics | FDA US Food and Drug Administration

Checked against these sources on 4 November 2026. Spot a mistake? Tell us.