What it is
- EU register name (INCI)
- SODIUM ACETATE
- CAS number
- 127-09-3
- EC number
- 204-823-8
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Sodium Acetate in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Buffering
-
Keeps the product’s pH (how acidic it is) steady.
Register definition: “Stabilising the pH of an aqueous medium in a narrow range even if an acid or base is added. Altering and/or maintaining a cosmetic product's pH at the desired level.”
- Fragrance
-
Gives the product its smell or covers an unpleasant one. A label may name each scent ingredient or group them as Fragrance (Parfum).
Register definition: “Imparting an odour or taste. Creating a perceivable pleasant smell and/or masking a bad smell.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Shampoos 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Shampoos without it
- Clarifying shampoos 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Clarifying shampoos without it
- Rinse-out conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Rinse-out conditioners without it
- Deep conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Deep conditioners without it
- Stylers 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Stylers without it
- Protein treatments 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Protein treatments without it
Every label, product by product (7)
- Kristin Ess Moisture Rich Curl Shampoo Shampoo 36th of 41 names
- PATTERN Hydration Shampoo Shampoo 39th of 42 names
- Camille Rose Clean Rinse Clarifying Shampoo Clarifying shampoo 29th of 34 names
- OLAPLEX No.5 Bond Maintenance Strengthening Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 50th of 66 names
- Kristin Ess Strand Strengthening Reconstructive Moisture Mask Deep conditioner 44th of 50 names
- Ouidad Curl Quencher Moisturizing Styling Gel Styler 19th of 38 names
- Cécred Reconstructing Treatment Mask Protein treatment 34th of 37 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other buffering ingredients on these labels
- Citric Acid 93 labels
- Sodium Hydroxide 25 labels
- Aminomethyl Propanol 15 labels
- Lactic Acid 12 labels
- Acetic Acid 7 labels
- Disodium Phosphate 6 labels
- Sodium Lactate 5 labels
- Sodium Phosphate 5 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.