Triethylhexyl Citrate
AKA “7147-34-4, Citric acid, tris(2-ethylhexyl) ester, tris(2-ethylhexyl) citrate, UNII-ZS6ME39S45, ZS6ME39S45, NIKKOL STO, 1, 2, 3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-, BERNEL ESTER TOC, EINECS 230-457-3”
Emollient
Ingredient Facts
Triethylhexyl citrate
AKA: 7147-34-4, Citric acid, Tris(2-ethylhexyl) ester, Tris(2-ethylhexyl) citrate, UNII-ZS6ME39S45, ZS6ME39S45, NIKKOL STO, 1, 2, 3-Propanetricarboxylic acid, 2-hydroxy-, BERNEL ESTER TOC, EINECS 230-457-3
Emollient · Emollient · EWG: 1
Synthetic
Emollient
Skin Conditioner
Chemical Exfoliant
Clean
Tris(2-Ethylhexyl) 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate
Effective at 13.5%
Formula
C30H56O7
Mol. Weight
528.80
CAS #
7147-34-4
Form
Liquid
See origin →
Functions
Plasticiser
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Emollient
Fills in the tiny cracks between skin cells to make everything feel smooth and soft. The "silky finish" ingredient.
Locks In Moisture
Traditional Use
Synthetic plasticizer and emollient developed for cosmetic use, designed to improve product texture, spreadability, and skin feel in modern formulations.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
EWG
1
CIR
Safe as used
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Concentration Guide
0.0008%
27.0%
0%38%
Effective Range
CIR reported use: 0.3-27 | 0.0008-6
Regulatory Agencies
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
Acetyl Triethylhexyl Citrate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Citric Acid
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Triethylhexyl Citrate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Citric Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Triethylhexyl Citrate
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
Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR