Chelators & pH Adjusters

Chelators and pH adjusters are the formulation-control ingredients that beauty and personal care manufacturers use to sequester trace metal ions and to set or buffer a product’s pH. Chelating agents (sequestrants) bind the iron, copper, and calcium ions introduced by water, raw materials, and packaging, which supports color and fragrance stability, limits metal-catalyzed oxidation of oils and surfactants, and helps surfactant systems foam and clean in hard water. pH adjusters—acids and alkaline neutralizers—bring a batch to its target pH and hold it there, which governs viscosity, emulsion stability, and preservative-system performance. RawSource sources this family in bulk—drums, totes, and container loads—to defined product specifications.

For sequestration, Tetrasodium EDTA and Disodium EDTA are the workhorse chelators for surfactant cleansers, while HEDP (etidronic acid) is chosen where phosphonate stability is preferred; Sodium Gluconate, Phytic Acid (IP6), and its salt Sodium Phytate provide non-EDTA options, and Citric Acid (E330) doubles as both a mild chelant and an acidifier. To lower pH, formulators reach for Citric Acid, Lactic Acid, or Phytic Acid; the citrate salts—Sodium Citrate (trisodium citrate) and Potassium Citrate—act as buffering agents that hold a set pH, as does Tromethamine (Tris). To raise pH or neutralize carbomer and acrylate gels, the amino-alcohols Triethanolamine (TEA) and Aminomethyl Propanol (AMP) are standard, while Potassium Hydroxide (caustic potash) and Caustic Soda Beads (sodium hydroxide) supply the strong alkali used for saponification and pH correction in soap and liquid-cleanser bases.

These materials are supplied for industrial and professional formulation use only. Consult the current SDS for each product, and confirm material compatibility, grade suitability, and regulatory status for your specific process and jurisdiction before use.