Sodium Stearoyl Glutamate

Gentle cleansing agent with emulsifying properties

Made from amino acid glutamic acid

May be synthetic or animal-derived

Considered safe as use in cosmetics

Sodium stearoyl glutamate is a synthetic or animal-derived ingredient (Paula’s Choice uses the former) that is added to cosmetics to condition skin or work as an emulsifier, keeping oil-and-water formulas blended.

In higher amounts, it works as a surfactant, typically with other cleansing agents; however, it used more often for its skin-softening and emulsifying properties.

Chemically, sodium stearoyl glutamate belongs to the amino acid group since the glutamate portion (not to be confused with the protein gluten) comes from the amino acid known as glutamic acid, which enhances skin hydration. The sodium portion makes it an amino acid salt, and it as well as similar ingredients in this amino acid group are considered non-irritating.

Usage levels of sodium stearoyl glutamate in cosmetics range from 0.03–2%, with amounts above 1% more likely to see use in leave-on products.

This ingredient has been deemed safe as used in cosmetics; however, there’s one case report of a person having an irritant contact dermatitis to a leave-on product that contained a 1% amount of sodium stearoyl glutamate. It wasn’t clear if the reaction may have been due to this ingredient being combined with another surfactant/preservative, plus the product in question contained fragrance compounds known to provoke irritation.

See: Glutamic Acid