sodium hydroxide in lotion

[mhawk85]

I was reading the ingredient label of a bottle of lotion someone gave me and I noticed sodium hydroxide in the list. Why is this in here?

 

[The Efficacious Gentleman]

Are you sure it isn't liquid soap?

 

[Susie]

I've seen the same. But if you recall that NaOH is often used in food preparation(peeling tomatoes, boil water for bagels, pretzels, etc), it is not that far fetched to have a tiny bit at the end of an ingredient list. Probably just to bring the pH up a bit.

 

[seven]

what Susie said, my guess is also to bring up the PH. i've seen it quite a few times too.

 

[mhawk85]

its number 21 on the list of like 37 .

 

[Susie]

And what is the whole list?

 

[DeeAnna]

It's near the end of the list where the percentages are fractions of 1%. Don't worry about it. It's for pH adjustment.

 

[new12soap]

Yep, a very weak lye solution can be used as a pH modifier, as well as a neutralizer for a carbomer (which is a gelling agent).

 

[IrishLass]

Yep- what DeeAnna and new12soap said.


IrishLass

 

[pamielynn]

I've seen DIsodium hydroxide in lotion... but not sodium hydroxide. But I don't make lotions, so I don't know what all I'm talking about

 

[lpstephy85]

I was just thinking this the other day when I was looking at the ingredients list on a bottle of a baby lotion. It was the very last ingredient on the list and now it makes sense!