What it is
In the register’s words: “Sorbitol is the hexahydric alcohol.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- SORBITOL
- CAS number
- 50-70-4/ 1259528-21-6 (generic)
- EC number
- 200-061-5
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Sorbitol 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.
- Humectant
-
Holds water in the product and on the surface it touches. Glycerin, honey and aloe are common humectants on curly-hair labels.
Register definition: “Retaining and/or preserving the moisture in a product during use.”
- 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.”
- Perfuming
-
Used as a perfume or scent material. Essential oils and their scent compounds, such as linalool and limonene, carry this role.
Register definition: “Used for perfume and aromatic raw materials.”
- Skin conditioning
-
The register’s broad role for ingredients that keep skin in good condition. On a hair label it often sits beside a hair role, or marks a plant oil or extract.
Register definition: “Maintaining the skin in good condition.”
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.
- Clarifying shampoos 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Clarifying shampoos without it
- Deep conditioners 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Deep conditioners without it
- Leave-in conditioners 3 labels First five names: 0 of 3 Leave-in conditioners without it
- Stylers 4 labels First five names: 1 of 4 Stylers without it
- Heat protectants 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Heat protectants without it
Every label, product by product (11)
- Kristin Ess Deep Clean Clarifying Shampoo Clarifying shampoo 20th of 39 names
- DevaCurl Melt Into Moisture Deep conditioner 9th of 41 names
- Kristin Ess Strand Strengthening Reconstructive Moisture Mask Deep conditioner 41st of 50 names
- DevaCurl Leave-In Decadence Leave-in conditioner 12th of 39 names
- Camille Rose Curl Love Moisture Milk Leave-in conditioner 9th of 17 names
- Kristin Ess Weightless Shine Leave-In Conditioner Leave-in conditioner 31st of 36 names
- Rizos Curls Light Hold Gel Styler 3rd of 29 names
- Giovanni Curl Habit Curl Shaping Hair Gel Styler 12th of 21 names
- TRESemmé Bouncy Curls Defining Mousse Styler 17th of 20 names
- Kristin Ess Sea Salt Air Dry Mousse Styler 40th of 47 names
- Briogeo Farewell Frizz Blow Dry Perfection & Heat Protectant Crème Heat protectant · listed as Sorbitol* 18th of 30 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 humectant ingredients on these labels
- Propylene Glycol 22 labels
- Honey 19 labels
- Butylene Glycol 14 labels
- Sodium Hyaluronate 8 labels
- PCA 5 labels
- Phytantriol 5 labels
- Xylitol 5 labels
- Anhydroxylitol 3 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.