What it is
In the register’s words: “Sodium Phosphate is the inorganic salt.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- SODIUM PHOSPHATE
- CAS number
- 13472-35-0 (dihydrate)/ 7558-80-7 / 7632-05-5
- EC number
- - /231-449-2 / 231-558-5
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Sodium Phosphate 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.”
- Anti-seborrheic
-
The register’s role for ingredients used against the symptoms of seborrheic dermatitis, including dandruff. On a label it says why a maker may add it, not that a product treats dandruff.
Register definition: “Preventing or relieving the symptoms of seborrhea and/or seborrheic dermatitis, including dandruff.”
- Deodorant
-
Reduces or covers unpleasant smells.
Register definition: “Reducing and/or eluminating unpleasant odour. Contributing against the formation of malodour on body surfaces.”
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.
- 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
- Leave-in conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Leave-in conditioners without it
- Stylers 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Stylers without it
Every label, product by product (5)
- Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Clean Slate Daily Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 22nd of 30 names
- Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Deep Hydration Mask Deep conditioner 24th of 30 names
- Cantu Ultra Moisture Nourishing Leave-In Conditioner Leave-in conditioner 29th of 37 names
- PATTERN Curl Gel Styler 29th of 38 names
- Cécred Moisture Sealing Lotion Styler 41st of 48 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
- Sodium Acetate 7 labels
- Disodium Phosphate 6 labels
- Sodium Lactate 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.