SOLUBILIZER
Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- solubilizer
A hydrotrope that keeps a shampoo clear and pourable.
- products in our library
- 54
- of researched products
- 1%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #9
- most common in
- Shampoo
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
How much oil it strips, as a class.
The foam the class is known for, not a measured volume.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Rinses clean | 5 of 5 |
| Cleansing strength | Not a cleanser | 1 of 5 |
| Lather | Little | 1 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Sodium Xylenesulfonate does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
How a clear liquid can carry an oil or a fragrance without going cloudy.
Water alone removes it, so it does not accumulate between washes.
Charge
Negatively charged, like the hair surface itself — so it is repelled rather than attracted, rinses away cleanly, and is the charge most detergents carry.
Solubility
Rinses out with water alone — it does not accumulate on hair between washes.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
54 products
|
supporting · #9 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 54 | 6% | 9 | 4 | supporting |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 0 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 30 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 19 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 4 |
| 26+ | Trace | 7 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Why it matters to shoppers
What this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- a clear formula that still carries oils
- a rinse-clean feel
- an exact safety score — we do not publish one, for any ingredient
- how a finished product performs by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — label position never converts into a number
- a supporting solubiliser alongside the main ingredients in our shampoos
- it was on the label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, not marketing copy
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Sodium Chloride · 54
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 52
- Sodium Lauryl Sulfate · 49
- Sodium Laureth Sulfate · 40
- Sodium Citrate · 39
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 38
- Glycol Distearate · 37
- Dimethicone · 36
- Tetrasodium EDTA · 35
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone · 30
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to keep the formula stable, clean and build foam, and improve feel after rinsing.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Wella · Shampoo
ColorMotion+ Shampoo
#4 on the label · $3.10/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Dry Scalp Care with Almond Oil Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
#5 on the label · $0.44/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Head & Shoulders Dry Scalp Care 2-in-1 Anti-Dandruff Shampoo and Conditioner with Almond Oil
#5 on the label · $0.50/oz
Herbal Essences · Shampoo
Herbal Essences Amaya Papaya Strength Shampoo with Papaya + Citrus
#5 on the label · $0.52/oz
Herbal Essences · Shampoo
Herbal Essences Classics Shine Shampoo with Chamomile
#5 on the label · $0.38/oz
Herbal Essences · Shampoo
Herbal Essences Grapefruit Volumizing Shampoo, For Fine Hair
#5 on the label · $0.71/oz
Herbal Essences · Shampoo
Herbal Essences Smooth Shampoo with Rose Hips & Jojoba Extracts
#5 on the label · $0.57/oz
Herbal Essences · Shampoo
Jojoba Oil & Lavender Curls Shampoo
#5 on the label · $0.53/oz
Pantene · Shampoo
Pro-V Classic Clean Shampoo
#5 on the label · $0.41/oz
Pantene · Shampoo
Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo
#5 on the label · $0.64/oz
Wella Professionals · Shampoo
Ultimate Smooth Shampoo
#5 on the label · $3.11/oz
Head & Shoulders · Shampoo
Hydrating Coconut Dandruff Shampoo
#6 on the label · $0.56/oz
See all 54 products in the library that list Sodium Xylenesulfonate
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Sodium Xylenesulfonate
- CAS 1300-72-7
- PubChem 23668192
- sodium xylenesulfonate
For your hair?
Whether Sodium Xylenesulfonate matters for your hair depends on your hair.
54 products in our library list itWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above is read from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references — the consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem — Compound identity: CID 23668192, CAS 1300-72-7, C8H9NaO3S · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library — 54 of 3928 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-08-28. Product-page methodology: the product library.