SODIUM HYDROXIDE
Ingredient Info
Sodium hydroxide is a strong alkaline ingredient used in skincare primarily as a pH buffer to neutralize acids and adjust the acidity level of formulations. It is not typically used as an active skincare ingredient but rather as a processing aid to achieve the correct pH balance for product stability and skin compatibility.
Benefits
- Neutralizes acidic ingredients to create balanced pH formulations
- Helps stabilize skincare products
- Enables use of potent acid-based actives by buffering them to safer pH levels
Potential concerns
- Can cause severe burns and irritation if used in high concentrations or improperly formulated
- Highly alkaline products may disrupt skin's natural acid mantle and cause irritation, dryness, or sensitivity
- Risk of harm increases significantly if products are not properly pH-balanced by manufacturers
Science: The research provided focuses on sodium hydroxide as a medical cauterant for surgical procedures at 10% concentration, which is not relevant to cosmetic skincare use. In properly formulated consumer skincare products, sodium hydroxide is used in trace amounts solely for pH adjustment and poses minimal risk when the final product pH is within safe ranges (typically 4.5-7.0 for facial products).
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