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Sodium Chloride

Also-called-like-this: Salt
What-it-does: viscosity controlling

Details

Sodium chloride is the fancy name of salt. Normal, everyday table salt

If (similar to us) you are in the weird habit of reading the label on your shower gel while taking a shower, you might have noticed that sodium chloride is almost always on the ingredient list. The reason for this is that salt acts as a fantastic thickener in cleansing formulas created with ionic cleansing agents (aka surfactants) such as Sodium Laureth Sulfate. A couple of percents (typically 1-3%) turns a runny surfactant solution into a nice gel texture.

If you are into chemistry (if not, we understand, just skip this paragraph), the reason is that electrolytes (you know, the Na+ and Cl- ions) screen the electrostatic repulsion between the head groups of ionic surfactants and thus support the formation of long shaped micelles (instead of spherical ones) that entangle like spaghetti, and viola, a gel is formed. However, too much of it causes the phenomenon called "salting out", and the surfactant solution goes runny again. 

Other than that, salt also works as an emulsion stabilizer in water-in-oil emulsions, that is when water droplets are dispersed in the outer oil (or silicone) phase. And last but not least, when salt is right at the first spot of the ingredient list (and is not dissolved), the product is usually a body scrub where salt is the physical exfoliating agent

Products with Sodium Chloride

A BONNÉ Moisturizing Shower Cream Scrap Tomato And Milk A BONNÉ Spa Milk Salt ACF by dadatina Body Solutions: Exfoliante APIS Wealth Of Honey Relaxing Bath Salt Angan Icelandic Moss Salt Scrub Apivita Royal Honey Body Scrub With Sea Salts Australian Wholesale Oils Himalayan Pink Salt - Course Australian whole Himalayan Pink Salt - Fine Aveda Beautifying Radiance Polish Aveda Stress-fix™ Soaking Salts Awake Organics Scalp Scrub Stimulating Root Care Beauty Jar Happy Scalp Deep Cleansing Scalp Scrub Beauty Pie Super Healthy Skin™ Nourishing Body Polish Bione Cosmetics Cannabis Bath Salt With Dead Sea Minerals Björk & Berries Fäviken Bath Salt Body Prescriptions Man Scrub Body Prescriptions Bath & Beauty Sunny Days Ahead Vitamin C Exfoliating Body Scrub Bondi Sands Summer Fruits Coconut & Sea Salt Body Scrub Bondi Sands Tropical Rum Coconut & Sea Salt Body Scrub Butt Naked Himalayan And Lavender Scrub and Soak Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub With Sea Salt Collistar Scrub Niacinamide Crown Affair The Cleansing Scrub Dead Sea Collection Himalayan Salt Scrub Desert Essence Nourishing Body Scrub Designer Brands Glow Glittering Sugar Scrub Dr. Teal's Restore & Replenish Pink Himalayan Sea Salt Scrub Dr.ForHair Folligen Sea Salt Scaler Earth Harbor Citrine Sea Purifying Exfoliation Potion Ecoforia Relaxing Pleasure Bath Salt Ecoforia Wonder Refreshing Body Polish Elizavecca Milky Piggy Sea Salt Cream Equilibra Energizing Toning Salt Scrub Equilibra Sculpting Salt Scrub Esthetic House Cp-1 Head Spa Scalp Scaler Freshwater Farm Lemon Myrtle Oil + Manuka Honey Body Scrub Freshwater Farm Rosewater + Pink Clay Body Scrub Good Virtues C0. Skin Renewal & Lightening Body Salt Scrub Goop G.Tox 5 Salt Detox Body Scrub Goop G.Tox Himalayan Salt Scalp Scrub Green Pharmacy Bath Salt Rosemary & Lavender Innersense Organic Beauty True Enlightenment Scalp Scrub It's Skin Madpore Scrum Foam Izil Pink Salt Scalp Scrub Jafra Spa Ginger & Sea Salt Body Rub Joji Secret Young Yogurt Collagen Spa Salt Scrub Kerastase Energizing Scrub Kneipp Arnica Joint & Muscle Mineral Bath Salt Kneipp Wald Bad - (bath Salts Pine & Fir) L'ange Exfolier Purifying Scalp Scrub