Sodium Chloride (Salt)
| What is it? |
Good ol’ salt! The variety you’re likely the most familiar with is table salt, but sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, and many other salts are basically just sodium chloride (NaCl). |
| INCI | Sodium chloride |
| Appearance | It can vary; generally crystalline |
| Usage rate | Up to 100% |
| Texture | It varies; very fine coarse |
| Scent | Little to none |
| Solubility | Water |
| Why do we use it in formulations? | Salt can play several roles in our skin care products. It can be used as an exfoliant, included in bath soaks, and used to thicken some surfactant blends. You’ll find it in hair mists for texturizing the hair. It does function as a humectant, but the skin feel can be sticky. Larger grain and/or colourful salts can also be beautiful decorative elements. In high enough concentrations it can inhibit microbial growth, but we rarely use it at concentrations this high. |
| Do you need it? | No, but you probably already have it! |
| Alternatives & Substitutions | As an exfoliant granulated sugar can be a good alternative. For bath salts, Epsom salts are a good alternative. |
| How to Work with It |
Include as directed in the recipe (it can vary a lot depending on the reason for use). Can be hot or cold processed. |
| Tips, Tricks, and Quirks | Try mixing equal parts fine grain salt and liquid oil for a simple body scrub. |
