Sodium Myristoyl Sarcosinate

Sodium myristoyl sarcosinate is an anionic surfactant/cleansing agent typically used around ~1–10% in facial cleansers and foaming products, where irritation risk is driven by barrier lipid disruption and protein denaturation rather than true allergy. Human patch/usage experience with sarcosinate-based surfactants suggests they are often milder than classic sulfates, but they still produce stinging, dryness, and eczema flares in reactive or compromised skin—especially with frequent use or in multi-step routines that already include actives. Given the clinically meaningful risk in sensitive and atopic populations at functional cleansing concentrations, it warrants a “notable” score requiring careful selection and monitoring. Safety Notes: In commercial skincare, sodium myristoyl sarcosinate appears at very low levels (~0.05–0.3%) as a secondary mild surfactant/foam booster or solubilizing aid in leave-on emulsions and micellar-type systems, where higher levels would be too irritating or destabilizing. Most rinse-off facial cleansers and body washes use it in the low single digits (~1–6%) within multi-surfactant blends for mildness and foam quality. The highest consumer-available levels are seen in concentrated syndet/cleansing pastes, powder-to-foam cleansers, and high-foaming acne/oily-skin cleansers where it can reach ~10–15% active to deliver strong detergency, typically only suitable for rinse-off formats.