Cosmetic ingredient dictionary
Sodium Metabisulfite in cosmetics: what it is and what it does
Sodium Metabisulfite 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 119 products, most often hair care.
By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check
What does Sodium Metabisulfite do in a product?
In a cosmetic product, Sodium Metabisulfite keeps the product from spoiling, stops the product reacting with oxygen and going off, and changes the chemistry of hair, as in perms. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: preservative, antioxidant and reducing.
What other names and numbers does Sodium Metabisulfite have?
- CAS number
- 7681-57-4, 7757-74-6
- EC number
- 231-673-0
- CosIng reference
- 37956
Is Sodium Metabisulfite restricted in the EU?
Yes, it has limits. The EU allows it only with limits or conditions of use, such as a maximum amount or a warning on the label (Annex III of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 99). The EU lists it as an allowed preservative, with a maximum amount (Annex V of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 9).
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 Metabisulfite?
Open Beauty Facts finds Sodium Metabisulfite in the ingredient lists of 119 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often hair care, hair dyes and facial creams.
Products with it, by country of sale: Norway 41 · France 32 · United States 7 · Australia 7.
Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Sodium Metabisulfite turns up, not how much of the market it is.
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’.
- European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
- Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
- 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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