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Sodium Carrageenan

What Sodium Carrageenan is & what it does

Sodium Carrageenan is the sodium salt of carrageenan, a polysaccharide extracted from red seaweed. In cosmetic and sunscreen formulas it functions as a thickener, gelling agent, and stabilizer, helping create smooth textures and keeping ingredients evenly dispersed. As a plant-derived hydrocolloid, it can also lend a light, gel-like skin feel.

What does Sodium Carrageenan do in skincare?

Sodium Carrageenan is a seaweed-derived polysaccharide salt used as a thickener, gelling agent, and stabilizer in cosmetic and sunscreen formulas. It helps create smooth, even textures and keeps ingredients well dispersed. It can also give a light, gel-like feel on the skin.

Is Sodium Carrageenan natural or synthetic?

Sodium Carrageenan is naturally derived, made from carrageenan that is extracted from red seaweed and converted to its sodium salt. It is not a petroleum-based synthetic. As a plant-derived hydrocolloid, its properties depend on the seaweed source and processing.

Is Sodium Carrageenan safe?

Sodium Carrageenan is widely used in cosmetics and foods and is generally considered safe for topical use at the levels found in products. It is a large molecule used mainly to thicken and stabilize formulas. People with specific sensitivities can patch test, but it is broadly well tolerated on skin.

Sunscreens with Sodium Carrageenan

We rate 22 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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