Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)
- Role
- A deodorant and buffering ingredient that helps reduce odor.
- Catalog formulas
- 4
- Type
- Odor
- Verified
- 06.11.2026
What does this ingredient do in an antiperspirant?
According to CosIng, it works as a deodorant, a buffer (controls the pH), an abrasive and a skin protectant. A solution of baking soda in water is mildly alkaline.
Part of a system, not a label in isolation
In antiperspirant sticks it appears alongside an aluminum salt as an extra odor-fighting ingredient; in aluminum-free deodorants it can be one of the main ones. Baking soda itself does not reduce sweating.
The CIR found sodium bicarbonate safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use (a 1987 assessment, reaffirmed in 2004).
A mildly alkaline salt may not suit sensitive or freshly shaved underarm skin; reactions are individual and depend on how much baking soda the formula contains.
It is not the same as Sodium Carbonate (soda ash), which is considerably more alkaline, nor Sodium Hydroxide (caustic soda).
Products containing Sodium Bicarbonate
Links are based on the complete published INCI list for the exact product version.
Sources
The conclusions apply to the stated conditions and jurisdictions, not automatically to every concentration or product.
- COSMILE Europe (CosIng data): Sodium Bicarbonate Supports: function
- CIR: Safety Assessment of Carbonate Salts (2022), assessment history section Supports: safety assessment
- PubChem: Sodium bicarbonate Supports: substance identity