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Sorbitol

What Sorbitol is & what it does

A sugar alcohol humectant that attracts and holds water, leaving a soft, supple finish. It also adds a slight slip and body to the formula.

What is Sorbitol and what does it do in sunscreen?

Sorbitol is a humectant, a sugar alcohol that attracts and holds water in the formula and on the skin. This leaves a soft, supple, well-hydrated finish and helps a sunscreen feel less drying. It also lends a bit of slip and body to the texture, smoothing how the product spreads.

Is Sorbitol safe?

Yes. Sorbitol is a long-used, well-tolerated humectant in cosmetics, and the same compound is also widely used as a food additive, where it appears as E420. It works by holding moisture and is gentle and non-irritating for most people at the levels used in skincare.

Does Sorbitol clog pores?

Generally no. It is a water-loving humectant, not an oil or wax, so it is not a pore-clogging ingredient and our data does not flag it as comedogenic. Humectants like Sorbitol are among the lighter, more breathable hydrators in a formula.

Is Sorbitol the same as glycerin?

Not exactly, but they play the same role. Both are humectants that draw in and hold water to keep skin feeling hydrated, and they are often used together. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that adds a touch more body and slip, while glycerin is the more common workhorse humectant.

Is Sorbitol natural or synthetic?

It can be derived from natural sources. Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol that occurs in fruits and is typically produced from plant sugars such as corn or wheat starch. It is plant-derived and vegan-friendly, which is part of why it suits natural-leaning and gentle formulas.

Sunscreens with Sorbitol

We rate 198 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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