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Sodium Glutamate

What Sodium Glutamate is & what it does

Sodium Glutamate is the sodium salt of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring amino acid. In cosmetics it serves as a skin-conditioning agent and humectant, helping skin hold onto moisture, and it can also play a role in buffering a formula's pH. It is water-soluble and generally used at modest levels.

What does Sodium Glutamate do in skincare?

Sodium Glutamate, the sodium salt of the amino acid glutamic acid, works as a skin-conditioning agent and humectant. It helps skin attract and hold moisture and can also support a formula's pH balance. It is water-soluble and used at modest levels.

Is Sodium Glutamate natural or synthetic?

Sodium Glutamate is based on glutamic acid, an amino acid that occurs widely in nature, but the cosmetic ingredient is produced through controlled manufacturing, often by fermentation. It is best described as naturally derived or nature-identical depending on the source.

Is Sodium Glutamate safe?

Sodium Glutamate is an amino-acid-based ingredient used in cosmetics as a humectant and conditioner and is generally well tolerated on the skin. It is water-soluble and not associated with significant irritation at typical levels. People with sensitive skin can patch test a new product to be sure.

Sunscreens with Sodium Glutamate

We rate 11 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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