The Beauty & Personal Care Brand Builder Series

Ingredient Deep Dive

Sodium Metabisulfite

The Beauty & Personal Care Brand Builder Series

Ingredient Deep Dive

Sodium Metabisulfite

The Reducing Antioxidant

Sodium Metabisulfite is a reducing (oxygen-scavenging) antioxidant used to protect sensitive formulas — particularly self-tanners, hair color and vitamin systems — from discoloration and oxidation.

It preserves the color and integrity of easily-oxidized actives and helps keep a formula looking fresh over its shelf life.

Quick Insights

Ingredient Rating:

FAIR

Type of Ingredient:

Antioxidant and Preservative

Intended Function:

A reducing antioxidant used to protect sensitive, oxidation-prone formulas from discoloration.

Common Applications:

Used in serums and moisturizers and hair-care formulas.

Target Audience:

Brands formulating self-tanners, hair color and other easily-oxidized systems.

Also Known As:

Sodium Metabisulfite, Sodium Pyrosulfite, Sodium Disulfite

Benefits of Sodium Metabisulfite

A reducing antioxidant that protects sensitive, easily-oxidized formulas from discoloration.

Reducing Antioxidant: Scavenges oxygen to protect oxidation-prone actives.
Color Protection: Helps prevent browning and discoloration of the formula.
Stabilizer: Extends the visual freshness of sensitive systems.
Preservative Aid: Supports the stability of the overall system.
Widely Used: A long-established stabilizer for reactive formulas.

How It Works

Sodium Metabisulfite releases sulfite species that are preferentially oxidized in place of the formula’s sensitive actives — it is sacrificially consumed by oxygen so that vitamins, dyes or DHA-type actives keep their color and activity longer.

Formulating with Sodium Metabisulfite

Sodium Metabisulfite is water-soluble and added to the water phase at low levels; keep levels to the minimum effective dose. Observe good manufacturing and preservation practice.

Safety Analysis

Sodium Metabisulfite is a sulfite; sulfites can provoke reactions in sulfite-sensitive individuals, so it is used at the minimum effective level and disclosed on the label. As always, substantiate the finished product’s safety (e.g. patch / HRIPT testing) in line with MoCRA requirements.

References

https://incidecoder.com/ingredients/sodium-metabisulfite

https://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient/sodium-metabisulfite/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sodium_metabisulfite

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