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Sodium Benzoate

What Sodium Benzoate is & what it does

A mild preservative, especially effective against yeast and mold in acidic formulas, often paired with potassium sorbate. It keeps products safe with a low irritation profile.

What is Sodium Benzoate and what does it do in sunscreen?

Sodium Benzoate is a mild preservative that helps keep a product free of microbial growth, working especially well against yeast and mold in acidic, low-pH formulas. In sunscreen it protects the formula over its shelf life and in use, and it is often paired with potassium sorbate to broaden coverage. It has a low irritation profile, which is why it is a popular choice in gentle products.

Is Sodium Benzoate safe?

Yes. It is one of the more established preservatives in both cosmetics and food, where it is used as the additive E211, and it is well tolerated at the low levels needed to preserve a formula. It works best in acidic products and is chosen precisely because it keeps things safe with a low irritation profile. For most people it causes no problems in a leave-on or wash-off product.

Does Sodium Benzoate clog pores?

Generally no. It is a water-soluble preservative used in tiny amounts, not an oil or wax, so it is not considered a pore-clogging ingredient. If you are breaking out, the emollients and oils elsewhere in the formula are far more likely the cause than a preservative like this one.

Is Sodium Benzoate a preservative?

Yes. Sodium Benzoate is a preservative, used to stop yeast and mold from growing, particularly in acidic formulas. It is not a UV filter or an active skincare ingredient, it is purely there to keep the product safe and stable. You will often see it listed alongside potassium sorbate, a common partner that broadens the microbial coverage.

What is Sodium Benzoate on an ingredient list (INCI)?

"Sodium Benzoate" is the INCI name on the label, and the same ingredient is known as the food additive E211. It is the sodium salt of benzoic acid, and on an ingredient list it usually appears low down, near the other preservatives. Finding it on a sunscreen label is routine and simply means the formula is protected from spoilage.

Sunscreens with Sodium Benzoate

We rate 1184 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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