What is sodium stearate?
Sodium stearate is a vegetable-based soap material sourced from coconut and palm oils. It is often referred to as a sodium salt that comes from stearic acid, a fatty acid that occurs naturally.
Why is sodium stearate used?
Sodium stearate is a versatile material used as an emulsifier, dispersant, gelling agent, stabilizer, binder, viscosity modifier and more. It is a major component of many soaps, cosmetics and food additives.
Is sodium stearate a natural ingredient?
Is it Natural? It is a chemical synthesized ingredient and not natural, but derived from the natural ingredient stearic acid, which is a saturated fatty acid can be made from vegetable sources, such as rapeseed oil, palm oil and sunflower oil.
Is sodium stearate harmful?
Sodium stearate is a skin irritant in man and laboratory animals, and has induced eye damage in rabbits. There is one report of possible skin sensitization in man. A low acute oral toxicity was demonstrated in rats. In a limited assay, sodium stearate failed to induce mutations in bacteria.
Is sodium stearate a detergent?
Sodium stearate is a typical example of a detergent or soap, since it contains a long hydrocarbon ‘tail’ (magenta) and a carboxylic acid ‘head’ group (blue).
How does sodium stearate work as a cleaner?
Sodium stearate is a type of surfactant, which is an agent that basically makes it easier for water to get grime off of your skin. Surfactants are made up of two parts — one part (the hydrophilic side) attracts water, while the other part (the hydrophobic side) repels it.
Is sodium stearate soap?
Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid. This white solid is the most common soap. It is found in many types of solid deodorants, rubbers, latex paints, and inks. It is also a component of some food additives and food flavorings.
Is sodium stearate a preservative?
Sodium stearate is a stabiliser and thickener that helps harden soaps and naked deodorants, allowing a wide variety of shapes and sizes and removing the need for unnecessary packaging and synthetic preservatives. It also has opacifying properties that give the foam a creamy white appearance.
Can sodium stearate be used as a soap?
Sodium stearate is the sodium salt of stearic acid. This white solid is the most common soap. It is found in many types of solid deodorants, rubbers, latex paints, and inks.
Is sodium stearate eco friendly?
Sodium stearate *can* be eco-friendly and sustainably made, but it can also be made from palm oil. Some sources of palm oil have been implicated in deforestation of rainforest habitat. Is Sodium Stearate A Skin Irritant? Sodium stearate is generally well-tolerated by skin and not a common allergen or irritant.
Why sodium stearate as a soap can remove grease and oil whereas water alone Cannot?
Sodium Stearate – Soap The molecule gets over the problem that “oil and water don’t mix” by having a molecule with 2 parts – an oily part and an ionic part. The tail is basically an alkane, and so readily dissolves in fat, oil and grease, but not in water. Thus the tail is said to be hydrophobic (water-hating).