Learn all about sodium stearoyl lactylate, including how it's made, and why Puracy uses sodium stearoyl lactylate in our products.
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Sodium stearoyl lactylate (SSL) is a white or light yellow powder or a brittle solid with a characteristic smell.[1] It is a combination of sodium salts of stearoyl lactylic acids and minor proportions of sodium salts of related acids.[2] It is a plant-derived ingredient, and the FDA deems it safe for general or limited use in food.
SSL is used in hundreds of personal care and cosmetic products, including moisturizer, sunscreen, baby lotion, conditioner, foundation, body wash and other products.[3] It does not dissolve in water.[4]
Sodium stearoyl lactylate has a molecular weight of 450.6 g/mol. It is soluble in ethanol and insoluble in water.
In our products, SSL is a moisturizer that helps the skin stay soft and pliable. However, it is also an effective, food-grade emulsifier, stabilizer and a surfactant.[5] As a result, it is a common food additive and dough strengthener often found in baked products, puddings, fillings, dips, gravies, liqueurs and other prepared foods.[6] It also has a sweet taste, which allows food manufacturers to add less sugar.[7]
Learn more about the ingredient’s safety in relation to your health and the environment.
For skin and hair, SSL has been deemed safe to use in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review. It is also non-comedogenic and not a known carcinogen. It's possible to have an allergy to sodium stearoyl lactylate, which can result in oversensitive immune responses, as well as itching and swelling.
For more information, please visit Calcium Stearoyl Lactylate.
The ingredient is biodegradable as well as non-bioaccumulative. Palm oil is a common substitute for this ingredient, but although palm oil is not harsh, it is an endangered resource.
We use sodium stearoyl lactylate in several of our products as a moisturizer. The FDA has deemed SSL safe for use as a food additive, and Whole Foods has deemed the ingredient acceptable in its body care quality standards.[11,12,13]
Further, the European Food Safety Authority has determined no reproductive or carcinogenic effects from ingestion.[14] Several studies, as well as the Center for Science in the Public Interest, have also deemed the ingredient safe.[15,16] Sodium stearoyl lactylate does not contain milk protein and thus need not be restricted by people avoiding milk.[17,18]
SSL is manufactured by the reaction of lactic acid and stearic acid and conversion to sodium salts.[8] Typically, lactic acid — a naturally occurring substance — is neutralized with sodium or calcium hydroxide, and the excess water is distilled out.
Stearic acid — also a naturally occurring substance found in animal and vegetable fats — is then added and esterification occurs. Water is again removed via distillation. Some manufacturers bleach the final product with hydrogen peroxide (the product is then heated to destroy excess peroxide).[9,10]
Since it is safe to digest, SSL is used widely in the commercial production of various food products. It's used as a dough strengthener in bread, as well as an improver of mix tolerance and volume in beverage creamers.
SSL is vegan when it is derived from natural sources such as vegetables. Occasionally it is processed using non-vegan sources, but generally, it is considered vegan.