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Cosmetic ingredient dictionary

Sodium Formate in cosmetics: what it is and what it does

Sodium Formate is a cosmetic ingredient that keeps the product from spoiling. The EU lists it as an allowed preservative, with a maximum amount. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 7 products, most often shampoos.

By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check

What does Sodium Formate do in a product?

In a cosmetic product, Sodium Formate keeps the product from spoiling and keeps the product's acidity steady. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: preservative and buffering.

preservativebuffering

What other names and numbers does Sodium Formate have?

CAS number
141-53-7
EC number
205-488-0
CosIng reference
37871

Is Sodium Formate restricted in the EU?

It is allowed, on a list with limits. The EU lists it as an allowed preservative, with a maximum amount (Annex V of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 14).

The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.

Which products contain Sodium Formate?

Open Beauty Facts finds Sodium Formate in the ingredient lists of 7 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often shampoos, bath and shower and shower gels.

  • Shampoos3
  • Bath and shower2
  • Shower gels2
  • Hair care1

Products with it, by country of sale: Germany 4 · Netherlands 1 · Saudi Arabia 1 · United States 1.

Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Sodium Formate turns up, not how much of the market it is.

On these listsPreservatives

Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors

Sources

The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.

  1. European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
  2. Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
  3. EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)

Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check

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