Lye

Genomsnittlig

Hudirriterande ämne

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Lye omedelbart

  • Highly alkaline ingredient
  • Used in small amounts in cosmetics (such as in exfoliants and cleansers) to adjust pH
  • Also used in hair and nail products to maintain pH
  • Called sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide

Lye beskrivning

Lye is a term for a highly alkaline chemical compound known scientifically as sodium hydroxide. Also called caustic soda, sodium hydroxide is an ingredient used in small amounts in cosmetics to adjust the pH of a cosmetic formula. Lye is also in reference to potassium hydroxide when used in liquid formulas such as soaps. Its used as a pH adjuster is seen particularly in products such as cleansers and in leave-on exfoliants, where the product’s pH needs to be held within a very specific range for maximum efficacy (between 3-4 is ideal for acid-based exfoliants, while cleansers are generally pH 4.5-6). Pure lye’s pH level is 13, but in cosmetics, it is only used up to pH 11. Lye is seen in many applications in beauty products, such as nail cuticle solvents and hair straighteners, where it’s used in greater amounts (between 2% and 5% concentrations by weight) than in leave-on skincare products or makeup (for example, some lipsticks contain 0.25% sodium hydroxide). It’s also used as a cleansing and denaturing agent. It’s a significant skin sensitizer in concentrations of 10% or greater. Much lower amounts are used in solution to pH control leave-on, acid-based exfoliants.

Lye referenser

  • International Journal of Toxicology, October 2021, pages 16S-35S
  • International Journal of Trichology, January-March 2015, pages 2-15
  • Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, September 2010, Volume 9, Issue 3, pages 174-184
  • Acta dermato-venereologica, March 1995, pages 97-101

Peer-reviewed, substantiated scientific research is used to assess ingredients in this dictionary. Regulations regarding constraints, permitted concentration levels and availability vary by country and region.

Ingrediensrankning

Bäst

Effektiv och bevisad genom oberoende studier. Enastående aktiv ingrediens för de flesta hudtyper eller hudbesvär.

Bra

Nödvändig för att förbättra en formulas struktur, stabilitet eller penetration.

Genomsnittlig

Vanligtvis inte irriterande, men kan ha estetiska, stabilitets- eller andra problem som begränsar dess användbarhet.

Dålig

Det finns en risk för irritation. Risken ökar när den kombineras med andra ingredienser som kan orsaka irritation eller inflammation.

Sämst

Kan ge upphov till irritation, inflammation, torrhet och andra oönskade effekter. Kan ha vissa fördelar men har i allmänhet visat sig göra mer skada än nytta.

okänd

Vi kunde inte hitta detta i vårt ingredienslexikon. Vi registrerar alla saknade ingredienser och gör kontinuerliga uppdateringar.

Inte betygsatt

Denna ingrediens har inte blivit rankad eftersom vi inte har haft möjlighet att granska den aktuella forskningen.