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Ingredient Guide

Sodium Saccharin: What to Know About the Sweetener in Your Toothpaste

Arin Editorial · how this is made

the crystals are all white and have small pieces of crystal embedded in them on top of each other

You may see 'sodium saccharin' on the ingredient list of your toothpaste or mouthwash. Despite the chemical-sounding name, it is the sodium salt of saccharin, one of the first artificial sweeteners. Here is a quick look at what it does in cosmetics and what the safety data says.

What is this ingredient?

Saccharin was discovered by accident in 1879 by Constantin Fahlberg, a chemist working on coal tar derivatives. Work with Ira Remsen at Johns Hopkins University was published in 1879 and 1880, and the patent came in 1884. Sodium saccharin is the sodium salt of that molecule. In the US, the FDA began investigating saccharin in 1907 after the Pure Food and Drug Act. Records also note that more than 30 impurities were reported in saccharin made with the production methods of that era; that fact alone says nothing about today's products.

What does it do in cosmetics?

Cosmetic ingredient databases list three functions. As a flavouring, it adds a sweet taste. It also works as a functional ingredient in fragrance formulations. In oral care products, it cleans, deodorises and protects the oral cavity or teeth. That is why it shows up most often in toothpaste, mouthwash and oral care products. The sweet taste makes them more pleasant to use.

What do skin and eye data say?

Compiled records include two skin sensitisation tests; both came back as 'not likely to be sensitizing'. Eye and skin irritation tests in rabbits showed no significant irritation. By standard test methods, there is no warning sign on these two endpoints.

What do genotoxicity data say?

The genotoxicity picture is mixed. Positive results outnumber negative ones in the compiled records, and both the Ames and micronucleus tests came back positive. The Ames test measures mutations in bacteria and gives a quick screen for a substance's potential to damage DNA. The micronucleus test looks at whether chromosome fragments are lost during cell division. Both being positive points to a genotoxic signal in the lab. But without dose, species and route of exposure, you cannot turn that into a definite risk statement.

Its place in cosmetics

Cosmetic ingredients are regulated. Sodium saccharin is listed in the EU database with its cosmetic functions, and different regulations may apply outside the EU.

It is a cosmetic ingredient with defined functions in the EU database, and may be subject to different regulations outside the EU.

Seeing it on a label is not a warning sign. It is a common sweetener in toothpaste and mouthwash, and the skin and eye irritation data are quiet. If you notice an unusual reaction in your mouth or on your skin, stop using the product and ask a healthcare professional.

Sources

Ingredients mentioned in this article

SODIUM SACCHARIN