Tetrasodium EDTA Description and Modern Uses
Tetrasodium EDTA Description
Tetrasodium EDTA, which actually stands for ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, may also be referred to as edetate sodium, tetrasodium salt, tetrasodium edetate and many other terms used in many other industries. The main property of tetrasodium EDTA is to decrease the reactivity of metal ions in a product, which makes it an important ingredient when making soaps. To make it simpler, this chemical is used to make hard water soft.
When you use soaps and cleansers to wash dirt and grime, these products also attract metal ions that are usually found in hard water. Tetrasodium EDTA is added to these skin care products to neutralize the effect of metal ions for soaps and cleansing agents to become more effective.
Tetrasodium EDTA History and Origin
Tetrasodium EDTA is produced synthetically for industrial purposes in the laboratory. Its use as a chelating agent for soaps and shampoos make it an indispensable ingredient. It is definitely important to consider that not all water sources are the same everywhere you go in the word today. Hard water may affect the way soap and other cleaners remove dirt and grime. Thus tetrasodium EDTA is needed to improve upon the quality of soaps and detergents.
Tetrasodium EDTA Modern Uses
During today’s more modern times, tetrasodium EDTA is used primarily to make soap and other personal care products to work even when hard water is present. This principle is known as chelation, wherein chemicals such as tetrasodium EDTA are added to soap and shampoos to neutralize the metal ions that make water hard. Soaps, shampoos, conditioning agents, hand soaps and bubble baths contain this chemical to make them bubble and remove dirt effectively.
Aside from soaps and shampoos, it is also used in a variety of different cosmetics because of its property as a “penetration enhancer” and is considered safe to use as an ingredient in cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert panel. It is also added to food in limited amounts to enhance the flavor and shelf life of the foods.