Sea Salt

Sea salt (sodium chloride with trace minerals) is commonly used in cleansers and scrubs and can function as an abrasive or osmotic agent; at typical topical levels it is not a classic allergen but frequently causes stinging and dryness by increasing transepidermal water loss and irritating compromised barriers. Clinical experience and patch/usage data show higher intolerance in eczema, fissured skin, and post-procedure patients, where salt exposure predictably burns and can exacerbate inflammation. Because it can be moderately irritating in sensitive populations—especially when combined with surfactants or physical exfoliation—a moderate score with patch-test caution is warranted. Safety Notes: In commercial skincare, sea salt (typically sodium chloride with trace minerals) appears at very low levels (~0.05–0.5%) in leave-on toners/mists/creams mainly for skin-feel, ionic strength, and viscosity/texture tuning, and at low-to-moderate levels in cleansers and bath products (~0.5–10%). The highest consumer-available levels are found in rinse-off salt scrubs, polishing pastes, and “salt soap”/salt bar products where salt is a primary structurant and exfoliant, commonly 30–60% by weight. EU/FDA do not set a specific maximum for sodium chloride in cosmetics; practical upper limits are driven by product format (leave-on vs rinse-off), irritation potential, and processing/solubility constraints.

Suitability