Sodium chloride in skin care

Despite being known for its culinary properties, sodium chloride in skin care is also a widespread element in a number of cosmetic solutions due to its multiple benefits for formulation.

Building from its advantageous chemical composition and its low cost, it has been hailed for its versatile use and its multiple cosmetic benefits. From acting as a gentle exfoliant to cleansing and purifying the skin thanks to its antibacterial properties, it offers a natural alternative to be easily incorporated into skincare routines.

In the current cosmetic market, where the preference for natural ingredients and botanical extracts reigns, sodium chloride in skin care is being hailed for presenting a familiar ingredient that is perceived as safe and which multiple skincare benefits. 

In fact, the use of sodium chloride in skin care serves several formulation specifics. This aligns with current efforts to find natural alternatives in every step of the process, such as including natural preservatives. 

Let’s take a look at some of the key benefits and uses of sodium chloride in skin care.

What is sodium chloride?

Sodium chloride is the chemical name for common table salt. In its natural form, sodium chloride is a crystalline solid with a characteristic salty taste, and represents an essential element for various biological processes in humans and other animals. 

As a culinary ingredient, it’s widely used in food preservation and seasoning, but it’s also key for other areas, including the cosmetic industry. In fact, China, the USA and India represent the three top producers of salt, according to Statista figures, with a total of 53 million metric tons of salt produced in 2023.

From the perspective of its chemical composition, it’s formed from two elements: sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl). In its pure form, it consists of equal numbers of sodium ions and chloride ions, which are arranged in a regular crystalline structure and held together by ionic bonds.

This balanced ratio gives salt its characteristic properties, including its salty taste, but also the attributes which have made sodium chloride in skin care a well-established solution. As such, some of its key characteristics include:

• White crystalline solid appearance. Its ionic bonding between positively-charged sodium ions (Na+) and negatively-charged chloride ions (Cl-) guarantees structure is held together by strong electrostatic forces 
• High melting point of 801°C (1,474°F) and a boiling point of 1,413°C (2,575°F)
• Typical density of about 2.16 grams per cubic centimeter (g/cm³) for its solid form
• Highly soluble in water, forming a clear, colorless solution. This particular property is fundamental for its use in diverse applications, including the use of sodium chloride in skin care
• While it has a distinctive salty taste, it doesn’t present a significant odor in its pure form
• It’s hygroscopic, meaning it can absorb moisture from the air. 
• Presents chemical stability under normal conditions, so that it doesn’t react with air or water, although it can react with certain chemicals under specific conditions, such as with strong acids or bases.

Sodium chloride in skin care: functions and benefits

While excessive amounts of sodium chloride in skin care could potentially lead to dehydration, professional formulations are able to expertly balance salt to ensure access to its multiple benefits. 

Today, sodium chloride is included in the list of elements Generally Recognized as Safe by the United States Food and Drug Administration, opening the door to a number of beneficial applications, which include:

Binding agent

Sodium chloride in skin care is commonly used to help ingredients adhere to each other and stay in their solid form. the aqueous phase of shampoos, body washes, and non-soap facial cleansers. 

As an inexpensive and highly effective binding agent, its ability to absorb moisture can create a cohesive mixture that holds its shape when compressed. 

Additionally, when salt crystals are dissolved in water and then allowed to dry, they can form solid structures as the water evaporates, helping to create solid products that hold their shape.

Thickening agent

Salt can act as a cost-effective and readily available thickening agent for certain cosmetic products, particularly in aqueous solutions such as shampoos, conditioners, and body washes. 

Commonly referred to as the “salting out effect”, salt is able to disrupt the hydrogen bonding between water molecules when added to a water-based solution. This interference reduces the solubility of certain substances, which then leads to the formation of a gel-like structure, effectively thickening the solution.

Salt is also key in enhancing certain polymer interactions that translate into thickening solutions, while also being able to promote viscosity by altering the flow behavior of a liquid.

Scrub products

Salt scrub products are skincare formulations used to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin that build on the unique properties of sodium chloride in skin care. Typically made by combining salt with essential oils, moisturizers, or herbs, they are designed to be gently massaged in circular motions to slough off dead skin cells, promote circulation, and leave the skin feeling soft and smooth.

These cosmetic products build on salt’s natural antibacterial properties, which cleanse and purify the skin, but also on the fine particles of salt mechanically removing dead skin cells, dirt and debris from the skin’s surface as it’s applied in circular motion.

Salt being hygroscopic and attracting moisture, it adds hydration capacities to formulations, as it can draw water into the skin’s outermost layer (the stratum corneum), and thus improving skin barrier function and overall hydration levels.

Additionally, it provides texture enhancement, adding a gritty texture that contributes to the pleasant sensory experience of using the product.

Bulking

In the context of sodium chloride in skin care, bulking refers to a technique to reduce the density or thickness of a product by causing it to swell. This is beneficial as it allows to increase the volume of the product without significantly increasing its weight.

Using salt as a bulking agent contributes to creating a smoother, more spreadable texture in creams, lotions, and other products, making them easier to apply and more pleasant to use. It can provide an enhanced feel, giving a lighter and airy texture, all while building from salt’s low cost and high availability.

Preservative

Salt having natural preservative properties due to its ability to inhibit microbial growth, it represents a cost-efficient and natural alternative for cosmetic preservation, maintaining product integrity and safety.

When considering the use of sodium chloride in skin care, it’s worth mentioning that formulating skin care products using salt should be conducted by experts that take into account its concentration and compatibility with other ingredients to ensure product efficacy and safety. 

At Provital, we aim at becoming top allies for a transformative natural cosmetic industry that balances ingredient efficacy, innovation and sustainability. As such, we recognize the potential of sodium chloride in skin care and have incorporated it into some of our successful ingredients such as MULTIMINERAL COMPLEX II WNGN. 

Some of our most advanced Care Motives also include salt as a key ingredient, such as Keraveg™, a complex of three hydrolyzates (wheat, rice and maize) for restoring damaged hair. Download our 2024 Care Motives catalog and explore the exciting possibilities of innovative natural extracts today.