Benzoic Acid

Our database includes 1527 products that contain Benzoic Acid.

You should know

What it is

Preservative

Concerns

Eczema

Explained

Benzoic Acid is used to preserve and adjust the pH of products.

The antimicrobial property of Benzoic Acid helps elongate a product's shelf life. Its main role is to reduce fungi growth and is not found to be effective at fighting bacteria. Therefore Benzoic Acid is always added along with other preservatives.

In its pure form, Benzoic Acid looks like a white crystalline solid. It has slight solubility in water.

The name of Benzoic Acid comes from gum benzoin, which used to be the sole source of deriving this ingredient. Benzoic Acid is the most simple aromatic carboxylic acid.

Benzoic Acid is naturally occuring in strawberries, mustard, cinnamon, and cloves. It has a slight scent but is not considered to be a fragrance.

People also like: Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Glycolic Acid

People also dislike: Niacinamide, Salicylic Acid, Parfum

Benzoic Acid is a rare cosmetic ingredient, with about 3.5% of the products in our database containing it.

What it does:

Masking, Preservative

Community Stats

95 people from our community have liked or disliked this ingredient.

Users who like it 💖

Often have the following skin types:

Combination Oily

Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:

Acne • Texture • Dark Spots • Dullness

Users who dislike it 💔

Often have the following skin types:

Sensitive Oily

Usually have one or more of the following skin concerns:

Seborrheic Dermatitis • Sensitivity • Redness • Fungal Acne

Where it's used

Benzoic Acid is most often found as ingredient number 22 within an ingredient list.

Of the 3 products in our database that have a known concentration of Benzoic Acid, we've seen concentrations from 0.09% to 0.1% specified within their ingredient lists.