Citric Acid. \ Certified Organic ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily used as a pH adjuster and buffering acid, helping bring formulas into a skin-appropriate or preservative-effective pH range. It can also support chelation and mild exfoliation in more acidic leave-on products.
What does Citric Acid. \ Certified Organic do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily used as a pH adjuster and buffering acid, helping bring formulas into a skin-appropriate or preservative-effective pH range. It can also support chelation and mild exfoliation in more acidic leave-on products.
Is Citric Acid. \ Certified Organic clean?
From a clean beauty perspective, it is well accepted, low concern at typical formulation levels, and not a common restricted-list issue. Higher-acid formulas can sting or irritate sensitive skin, so the finished product pH matters more than the ingredient alone.
Is Citric Acid. \ Certified Organic sustainable?
This material is commonly made by fermentation of plant-derived sugars or starches, so it can align well with renewable sourcing. It is readily biodegradable and does not raise persistence or bioaccumulation concerns.
Is Citric Acid. \ Certified Organic COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-it when produced and documented according to the standard, and it sourcing further supports alignment. It fits Green Chemistry principles well through fermentation-based production, biodegradability, and water-compatible use.
How does Citric Acid. \ Certified Organic work chemically?
The molecule is a small tricarboxylic alpha-hydroxy acid with pKa values around 3.1, 4.8, and 6.4, which lets it buffer acidic formulas and bind trace metal ions. It is commonly used around 0.05 to 0.5% for pH adjustment, with higher levels in exfoliating systems, and it is stable in water-based formulas under normal cosmetic processing conditions.
Last updated 2026-05-14