Preservative

Disodium EDTA

INCI · Disodium EDTA · also EDTA, Disodium Ethylenediaminetetraacetate

Revelika safety grade

Overview

A chelator rather than a preservative in its own right: it binds trace metal ions left over from water and raw materials, which would otherwise speed up rancidity and blunt the preservative system. It also helps cleansers foam in hard water.

Who it's for

A background formulation aid found in almost every water-based product.

Cautions

Used at very low levels and not a skin-treatment ingredient; environmental persistence is the more discussed concern rather than skin tolerance.

Suitability
Suits skin type
Dry Oily Combination Sensitive Acne-prone Mature Normal
Concentration
Concentration0 – 10%
Effective from
Max safe
In the glossary
Frequently asked
What does Disodium EDTA do in skincare?

A chelator rather than a preservative in its own right: it binds trace metal ions left over from water and raw materials, which would otherwise speed up rancidity and blunt the preservative system. It also helps cleansers foam in hard water.

Is Disodium EDTA considered safe for skin?

Used at very low levels and not a skin-treatment ingredient; environmental persistence is the more discussed concern rather than skin tolerance.

RRevelika

A science-forward beauty ingredient encyclopedia. Every entry is written from published research and graded conservatively before it publishes.

Editorial standard

Content is educational, not medical advice. When evidence is uncertain we say so — and we default to caution on pregnancy safety.

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