Sorbitol

Type of sugar that attracts and holds moisture to skin

Helps stabilize and improve texture of gel formulas

Can keep clear formulas from becoming cloudy

Naturally sweet taste is sometimes used to flavor lip products

Sorbitol is a type of sugar that can be created synthetically or derived from natural sources. Similar to glycerin, it is a hydrating ingredient (technically a humectant), texture enhancer, and stabilizer.

Its sugar component makes sorbitol an intriguing prebiotic, an ingredient that can “feed” the probiotics that make up a person’s skin microbiome, thus helping it become balanced. Specifically, sorbitol’s breakdown by certain probiotics can create beta-glucan, a skin-calming antioxidant.

Newer research is showing that sorbitol is a useful addition to delivery systems that enhance the penetration and stability of natural antioxidants.

Typical usage levels of sorbitol in skin care range from 5–50%, with amounts between 0.2–3.6% used in makeup, including powders.

Sorbitol is considered safe as used in cosmetics. In fact, in the United States it has GRAS (generally recognized as safe) status as a food additive. From the safety report: “When used in foods, sorbitol may not exceed 99% in hard candy and cough drops, 75% in chewing gum, 98% in soft candy, 30% in non-standardized jams and jellies, 30% in baked goods and baking mixes, 17% in frozen dairy desserts, and 12% in all other foods.”

See: Glycerin, Fructose, Beta-Glucan