Sodium starch glycolate is a white tasteless powder that is used in some personal care and oral care products. It's typically derived from processing vegetable starches, such as corn, wheat or potatoes.

When used in toothpaste tablets, sodium starch glycolate helps the tablet to rapidly disintegrate and release its active ingredients upon contact with saliva. This ensures that the toothpaste is delivered efficiently to the teeth, allowing for maximum effectiveness.

Sodium starch glycolate is biodegradable and is also approved for use in food products. When combined with other ingredients, such as baking soda, silica, and essential oils, this ingredient helps to create a gentle and effective toothpaste.

The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel assessed a group of Polysaccharide Gums (including sodium starch glycolate) in 2015 and reviewed their safety for dermal exposure in cosmetics. They concluded they are “safe in the present practices of use and concentration in cosmetics, as described in this safety assessment.”

Other names: Sodium Carboxymethyl Starch; Starch, Carboxymethyl Ether, Sodium Salt

Chemical class: Gums, Hydrophilic Colloids and Derivatives; Organic Salts

REFERENCES

Vranić, E., Lacević, A., Mehmedagić, A., & Uzunović, A. (2004). Formulation ingredients for toothpastes and mouthwashes. Bosnian journal of basic medical sciences, 4(4), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.17305/bjbms.2004.3362

Bergfeld, W. (2015). Safety Assessment of Polysaccharide Gums as Used in Cosmetics Status : Final Report Release Date : October 22 , 2015 Panel. https://www.cir-safety.org/sites/default/files/plpogu092015final.pdf

National Center for Biotechnology Information (2024). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 75000656, Carboxy methyl starch sodium (CMS). https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Carboxy-methyl-starch-sodium-_CMS