Database/Buffering/Sodium Hydroxide
100% natural origin · ISO 16128

Is Sodium Hydroxide natural?

Yes. An inorganic alkali produced from salt and water; both the sodium and hydroxide are mineral/water in origin.

INCI nameSodium Hydroxide
CAS1310-73-2
FormulaHNaO · 39.997 Da
FunctionBuffering · Denaturant
FeedstockProduced by electrolyzing a solution of natural salt…

How we scored it

Mineral base: Na (mineral counter-ion) + OH from water, both natural; 1.0.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Produced by electrolyzing a solution of natural salt (sodium chloride) brine, which also yields chlorine and hydrogen as co-products. No organic or petrochemical building blocks are involved.

In plain English

A strong alkali made from salt and water through electrolysis. Used in tiny amounts to adjust pH and, in some products, to alter hair structure.

Structure

2D structure of Sodium Hydroxide

sodium hydroxide

PubChem CID 14798 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Sodium Hydroxide. PubChem CID 14798. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3SODIUM HYDROXIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4SODIUM HYDROXIDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=SODIUM%20HYDROXIDE