Dendritic Salt

What is it? Dendritic Salt is a high surface area salt that is used in bath salt formulations to improve fragrance retention and reduce/prevent clumping.
INCI Sodium chloride
Appearance Small white crystals; visually indistinguishable from table salt.
Usage rate I find ~10% is typically sufficient to prevent clumping.
Texture Fine, crystalline.
Scent Nothing noticeable.
Solubility Water
Why do we use it in formulations? We include Dendritic Salt in bath salt formulations so they don’t seize into rock hard bath bricks over time. I consider Dendritic Salt (or products that do a similar job, like Natrasorb) to be essential in formulating bath salts and other free-flowing bath powder formulations.
Do you need it? If you like making bath salts I’d say Dendritic Salt is a must-have ingredient. If you don’t care about bath salts you don’t need it.
Refined or unrefined? Dendritic Salt only exists as a refined product.
Strengths Excellent at preventing clumping/seizing and improving fragrance retention in bath salts.
Weaknesses Dendritic Salt can be hard to find, depending on where you live.
Alternatives & Substitutions Natrasorb might work; do not use non-dendritic salt as an alternative.
How to Work with It Massage wet ingredients (fragrance, essential oils, solubilizers) into the Dendritic Salt, and then massage/blend in the rest of the dry ingredients.
Storage & Shelf Life Stored somewhere cool, dark, and dry, dendritic salt should last indefinitely.
Tips, Tricks, and Quirks Since the INCI for Dendritic Salt is “sodium chloride”, just like table salt, this ingredient is a bit of a secret for bath salts makers—the ingredient list won’t reveal its presence, but it’s doing a very important job!
Recommended starter amount 100g (3.5oz)
Where to Buy it  Buy it from an online DIY ingredient supplier or Amazon.

Some Formulations that Use Dendritic Salt

Skills

Posted on

March 19, 2021