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Citric Acid
AKA “77-92-9, 2-hydroxypropane-1, 2, 3-tricarboxylic acid, Citric acid, anhydrous, Aciletten, Anhydrous citric acid, Citro, Citretten, Citric acid anhydrous, Chemfill”
Acid
Ingredient Facts
Citric acid
AKA: 77-92-9, 2-hydroxypropane-1, 2, 3-tricarboxylic acid, Anhydrous, Aciletten, Anhydrous citric acid, Citro, Citretten, Citric acid anhydrous, Chemfill
Acid · Buffering · EWG: 2
Synthetic
Chelating Agent
Ferment
Chemical Exfoliant
Acid
Clean
A key intermediate in metabolism. It is an acid compound found in citrus fruits. The salts of citric acid (citrates) can be used as anticoagulants due to their calcium-chelating ability. Citric acid is one of the active ingredients in Phexxi, a non-hormonal contraceptive agent that was approved by the FDA on May 2020. It is also used in combination with magnesium oxide to form magnesium citrate, an osmotic laxative.
Formula
C6H8O7
Mol. Weight
192.12
CAS #
77-92-9, 5949-29-1
State
Solid
See origin →
Functions
Buffering
Chelating
Grabs onto metal ions in water that would destabilize the formula. Keeps your product from going bad or changing color.
Provides scent
Maintains optimal pH
Binds metal ions
Traditional Use
Not a cosmetic ingredient; this is a quality control specification used in manufacturing to ensure products meet standard pH ranges for safety and stability.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types, gentle
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
2
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
ewg-2
medical-approval
pregnancy-nursing-safe
all-shades-safe
Regulatory Status
USA✔ permitted
EU⚠ restricted
JAPAN⚠ restricted
CANADA⚠ restricted
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overv...
Bikash Chandra Behera
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overv...
Bikash Chandra Behera
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overv...
Bikash Chandra Behera
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overview.
Behera BC
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overview.
Behera BC
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overview.
Behera BC
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overview.
Behera BC
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Citric acid from Aspergillus niger: a comprehensive overview.
Behera BC
Critical reviews in microbiology, 2020
→
Safety Assessment of Citric Acid, Inorganic Citrate Salts, and Alkyl Citrate Esters as Used in Cosmetics
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
→
Citric Acid
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Citronellol
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Hydroxycitronellal
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Citric Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Citronellol
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Hydroxycitronellal
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Safety Assessment of Citric Acid, Inorganic Citrate Salts, and Alkyl Citrate Esters as Used in Cosmetics.
Fiume MM, Heldreth BA, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2014
→
Safety Assessment of Citric Acid, Inorganic Citrate Salts, and Alkyl Citrate Esters as Used in Cosmetics.
Fiume MM, Heldreth BA, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2014
→
Safety Assessment of Citric Acid, Inorganic Citrate Salts, and Alkyl Citrate Esters as Used in Cosmetics.
Fiume MM, Heldreth BA, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2014
→
Safety Assessment of Citric Acid, Inorganic Citrate Salts, and Alkyl Citrate Esters as Used in Cosmetics.
Fiume MM, Heldreth BA, Bergfeld WF, Belsito DV, Hill RA et al.
International journal of toxicology, 2014
→
Citric acid
Health Canada
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
→
Chemical Profiling, Sensory Qualities, and Bioactivities of Essential Oils Obtained from Aloysia citrodora and Bursera graveolens Ecuadorian Plants Ag
Parichanon P, Ascrizzi R, Tani C, Echeverria MC, Andrade SO et al.
Insects, 2025
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Therapeutic Potential of Citronella Essential Oil: A Review.
Sharma R, Rao R, Kumar S, Mahant S, Khatkar S
Current drug discovery technologies, 2019
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Therapeutic Potential of Citronella Essential Oil: A Review.
Sharma R, Rao R, Kumar S, Mahant S, Khatkar S
Current drug discovery technologies, 2019
→
Phytochemicals, Bioactive Properties and Commercial Potential of Calamondin (Citrofortunella microcarpa) Fruits: A Review.
Venkatachalam K, Charoenphun N, Srean P, Yuvanatemiya V, Pipatpanukul C et al.
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2023
→
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR