Sodium Benzoate in Skin Care | Detailed Explanation

Sodium benzoate is a white crystalline powder or finely granular, so what is the production process of it? Before learning the application of sodium benzoate in skin care, let's start by understanding the production process of sodium benzoate.

Chemical synthesis

First, toluene was oxidized by cobalt and manganese as catalysts, then reduced pressure distillation and recrystallization were carried out to obtain benzoic acid, and finally, sodium benzoate was neutralized by sodium bicarbonate.

Dry distillation/hydrolytic extraction

Benzoin gum (the secretion of the benzoin tree) is either retorted or hydrolyzed to produce benzoic acid, which is then neutralized with sodium bicarbonate to produce sodium benzoate. Sodium benzoate easily penetrates the microbial cell membrane into the cell body, inhibits the activity of cell respiration enzymes, inhibits the reproduction of microorganisms, and thus achieves the role of antisepsis.

Why do skin care products need preservatives?

To achieve the maintenance goal, skin care products are rich in nutrients, and these ingredients have precisely become a hotbed of some microorganisms (bacteria, mold, yeast), in the appropriate pH environment and storage temperature, but also aggravate the rapid growth of these microorganisms. In the course of daily use, constantly switching the bottle cap to dip the product will promote the oxidation of the active ingredients, and even deterioration, which will hurt the health of the skin.

But because of the presence of preservatives, everything is very different. It inhibits the growth and reproduction of microorganisms in cosmetics, maintains the stability of the nature of cosmetics, extends the shelf life of products, and is not easily deteriorate after the use of its lid, lengthens the storage time, and prevents the fairies from using products contaminated by microorganisms and causing possible infections.

With the progress of science and technology, people gradually understand the antiseptic effect of sodium benzoate, and the application of sodium benzoate in skin care is more and more extensive. Next, let's further understand the application of sodium benzoate in skin care products.

The application of sodium benzoate in skin care

Sodium benzoate is potentially carcinogenic. Sodium benzoate mixed with any form of vitamin C produces benzene, which is listed as a high-risk ingredient in cosmetic databases and a known human carcinogen.

Sodium benzoate is mildly irritating. Sodium benzoate is an acidic preservative that can irritate the respiratory tract, eyes, and skin, and there is a risk of skin allergy when using products containing this ingredient. Sodium toluate is found in many common skin care products.

Sodium benzoate is often used in facial masks, toners, serums, lotions, shampoos, body washes, dishwashing liquid, hair masks, sunscreen lotion, makeup remover, foundation liquid, hand cream, and other cosmetics, which is not very good to avoid.

The application of sodium benzoate in food

In addition to the application of sodium benzoate in skin care, sodium benzoate is also used in the food industry. At present, the national standard allows 27 kinds of food preservatives, sodium benzoate is a widely used toxicity of acid preservatives, and the market demand is great.

For example, soy sauce is generally added to the preservative sodium benzoate, otherwise it is easy to breed mold. In addition, sodium benzoate is also used in a variety of foods. It is not harmful to the human body within the dosage range stipulated by the state and can be used in soy sauce, beverages, and other foods.

Although sodium benzoate has a certain carcinogenicity, at present, many countries and regions, including our country, are still allowed to use sodium benzoate as a food preservative within a limited range. The reason, without exception, is because of its low cost. The advantage of sodium benzoate is that it is relatively stable in the air, does not require a vacuum, or a closed environment, and is conducive to transportation and storage, so the use cost is very low.

Conclusion

With the continuous progress of science and technology and the improvement of living standards of Chinese residents, people pay more attention to the health and safety of skin care products, the standards put forward for health and safety are more stringent, and the processing and production safety of skin care products is correspondingly more rigorous, and preservatives as a guarantee of skin care product safety, its application and development are also more valued. Therefore, with the application of sodium benzoate in skin care products more and more widely, understanding the chemical composition and application of sodium benzoate helps us better improve safety awareness and health awareness.