Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate
What Is It?
In cosmetics and personal care products, Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate and Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate are used in the formulation of makeup preparations including eyeshadow, mascara, blushers, foundations and lipstick.
Why Is It Used?
Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate and Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate enhance the water solubility of other cosmetic ingredients and help to distribute or to suspend an insoluble solid in a liquid. Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate also helps to keep the final product from separating into its oil and water components.
Scientific Facts
Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate and Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate are sodium salts of naphthalene sulfonic acid. Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate is used as an emulsion stabilizerIngredients that help to keep an emulsion from separating into its oil and liquid components., surfactantAn ingredient that helps two substances that normally do not mix to become dissolved or dispersed in one another. Also called a surface active agent. – hydrotrope, and/or surfactant – suspending agent.
Hydrotropes are surfactants which have the ability to enhance the water solubility of another surfactant. Prominent members of this group are short chain alkyl aryl sulfonates, sulfosuccinates, and some nonionic surfactants. Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate is used as a surfactant – hydrotrope.
Safety Information
The safety of Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate and Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate and Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate were safe in cosmetic formulations intended to be applied to the skin.
The available data, however, were insufficient to support the safety for use of these ingredients in cosmetic products which may contact mucous membranes or be ingested.
CIR Safety Review: The CIR Expert Panel received data on Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate, including skin penetration data and complete study reports on ocular toxicity and dermal irritation and sensitization, mutagenesis studies and clinical tests.
In assessing the information, the CIR Expert Panel considered the low skin penetration and the low concentrations of use of these ingredients and the absence of significant overall toxicity; and the available negative genotoxicity findings were sufficient to support a conclusion that Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate and Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate were safe as used in cosmetic formulations intended to be applied to the skin (external applications).
The CIR Expert Panel took into account that the barrier properties of the skin do no apply when these ingredients contact mucous membranes or are ingested. Accordingly, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that the available data were insufficient to support the safety of Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate and Sodium Polynaphthalene Sulfonate in cosmetic formulations that may contact mucous membranes or be ingested. The residue level of formaldehyde in Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate is 0.09%, below the 0.2% limit for free formaldehyde established earlier by the CIR Expert Panel.
More information about formaldehyde.
Sodium Naphthalene Sulfonate and Sodium Polynaphthalene Sulfonate may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…
More Scientific Information
Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate is the sodium salt of the product obtained by the condensation polymerization of naphthalene sulfonic acid and formaldehyde. Sodium Polynaphthalenesulfonate functions as an emulsionA mixture of two liquids that normally cannot be mixed, in which one liquid is dispersed in the other liquid as very fine droplets. Emulsifying agents are often used to help form the emulsion and stabilizing agents are used to keep the resulting emulsion from separating. The most common emulsions are oil-in-water emulsions (where oil droplets are dispersed in water) and water-in-oil emulsions (where water droplets are dispersed in oil). stabilizer, surfactant – hydrotrope, and/or surfactant – suspending agent).
Sodium Naphthalenesulfonate is the sodium salt of naphthalene sulfonic acid. It functions as a surfatant- hydrotrope.
Resources
Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/