What is it?
Ordinary salt, the same compound as table salt. In cosmetics and personal care products it is used mainly to thicken shampoos, body washes and other liquid cleansers, and it also serves as a bulking agent and appears in oral care products. It is an active ingredient in some over-the-counter eye products, and it is one of the most common food ingredients.
Key information
- The FDA names salt as an example of a common food ingredient that is generally recognized as safe.
- Sodium chloride is an approved active ingredient, at 2 to 5 percent, in over-the-counter eye products.
- The European Union lists no restrictions on its use in cosmetics.
- The health concern with salt is eating too much of it, not using it on skin or hair.
More information
Sodium chloride is made of sodium and chloride ions. The European Union's cosmetic ingredient database, CosIng, lists its cosmetic functions as bulking, viscosity controlling, oral care and fragrance, with no restrictions and no safety committee opinion on file. In shampoos and body washes, a small amount of salt makes the liquid thicker.
Salt has a long safety record. In its food regulations, the FDA names salt, along with pepper and vinegar, as an example of a common food ingredient that is generally recognized as safe for its intended use. Sodium chloride is also approved as the active ingredient, at 2 to 5 percent, in over-the-counter hypertonic eye products, a far more sensitive use than a shampoo or bath product.
The health concern with salt is how much people eat. The World Health Organization recommends that adults consume less than 2,000 mg of sodium a day, equal to less than 5 grams of salt, and reports that the global average intake in 2021 was 4,278 mg. The main effect of diets high in sodium is raised blood pressure, which increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. WHO also recommends that salt be iodized.
Sodium chloride is a different chemical from sodium chlorite, despite the similar name. On labels it may appear as sodium chloride or simply as salt.
Sources: European Commission CosIng: Sodium chloride; eCFR: 21 CFR 182.1, Substances that are generally recognized as safe; eCFR: 21 CFR 349.16, Ophthalmic hypertonicity agent; World Health Organization: Sodium reduction (fact sheet)
