Sodium Gluconate

• Derived from: Plants
• Pronunciation: \ˈsō-dē-əm\ ˈglü-kə-ˌnāt\
• Type: Naturally-derived
• Other names: Gluconolactone

What Is Sodium Gluconate?

Sodium gluconate (also called gluconolactone) is a naturally-occurring sodium salt of gluconic acid.[1]

How Sodium Gluconate Is Made

Manufacturing commercial sodium gluconate involves neutralizing gluconic acid with a sodium base or by acidifying calcium gluconate with sulfuric acid[2], filtering the product and neutralizing the result with a sodium base. Other methods involve continuous neutralization of gluconic acid formed during submerged culture fermentation.[3]

Sodium Gluconate Uses

Sodium gluconate is a skin-conditioning agent and a chelating agent (a substance that improves foaming in hard water). You can often find sodium gluconate in soap, sunscreen, shampoo, toothpaste, hair products, makeup, and a variety of other personal care products.[4]

We also use it as a softening agent in Puracy laundry detergents.

Is Sodium Gluconate Safe?

Whole Foods has deemed the ingredient acceptable in its body care quality standards.[5] The National Institutes of Health report that the ingredient is not a skin or eye irritant. [1,6]

Sources

[1] U.S. National Library of Medicine
[2] Cosmeticsinfo.org
[3] R. H. Blom, V. F. Pfeifer, A. J. Moyer, (1952) “Sodium gluconate production, fermentation with Aspergillus niger” Inudstrial Engineering and Chemistry 44 (2), pp 435–440
[4] Environmental Working Group
[5] Whole Foods Market
[6] Cosmeticsinfo.org