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Sodium Chloride

What Sodium Chloride is & what it does

Common salt, used to thicken surfactant-based formulas and as a gentle physical exfoliant in scrubs. It also adds minerals.

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

Sodium Chloride is ordinary table salt, used in formulas mainly to thicken and adjust the texture of surfactant-based or water-rich products. In a sunscreen it can help tune the consistency of the formula so it feels right and stays stable. It is a simple, functional ingredient rather than an active, working purely on the formula rather than the skin.

Is Sodium Chloride safe?

Yes. Sodium Chloride is common salt, one of the most familiar and well-tolerated substances used in cosmetics, and it is used in small amounts to adjust texture. It is mild for most people in a leave-on or rinse-off product. Very high salt concentrations can feel drying, but at the levels used to thicken a formula that is not a concern.

Does Sodium Chloride clog pores?

No. Salt is water-soluble and has nothing in common with the oils and waxes that can clog pores, so it is not a comedogenic ingredient. If a product breaks you out, the emollients and oils elsewhere in the formula are the likely cause, not the salt used to thicken it.

Is Sodium Chloride a thickener?

Yes, in this context it acts as a thickener. Adding a little salt to a surfactant-based or water-rich formula can raise its viscosity, which is how it adjusts texture and body. It is not a UV filter, preservative, or active skincare ingredient, it is simply a texture and consistency aid.

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

"Sodium Chloride" is the INCI name printed on the label, and it is just the chemical name for common table salt. On an ingredient list it usually appears low down, used in small amounts to adjust thickness. Seeing it on a sunscreen or cleanser label is completely routine.

Sunscreens with Sodium Chloride

We rate 1140 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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