A sodium salt of vitamin E phosphate esters, listed among others as an antioxidant and emulsifier.
What it is
Sodium tocopheryl phosphate is, according to CosIng, the sodium salt of a complex mixture of esters of phosphoric acid and tocopherol (vitamin E). CosIng lists it as an antioxidant, emulsifying and cleansing surfactant, emulsion stabiliser, reducing, skin-conditioning and viscosity-controlling ingredient.
Where it is used
Appears on the ingredient lists of a small number of products.
Limits of interpretation
The INCI list shows which ingredients are present, not how much of each. Above 1%, ingredients are listed in descending order of weight; below 1% the order is free.
Functions
- Antioxidant
- Inhibiting reactions promoted by oxygen, thus avoiding oxidation and rancidity.
- Surfactant – emulsifying
- Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.
- Emulsion stabilising
- Helping the process of emulsification and improving emulsion stability and shelf-life.
- Reducing
- Changing the chemical nature of another ingredient by adding hydrogen (or removing oxygen).
- Skin conditioning
- Maintaining the skin in good condition.
- Surfactant – cleansing
- Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).
- Viscosity controlling
- Increasing or decreasing the viscosity (thickness) of cosmetics.
EU regulation
This ingredient is not listed in the annexes of Regulation (EC) No 1223/2009 in the CosIng data.