magnesium citrate

TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly used as a buffering and pH-adjusting salt, helping keep formulas in a target acidity range. It can also contribute mild chelation and mineral content in skin care, hair care, and bath products.

What does magnesium citrate do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is mainly used as a buffering and pH-adjusting salt, helping keep formulas in a target acidity range. It can also contribute mild chelation and mineral content in skin care, hair care, and bath products.

Is magnesium citrate clean?

It is generally well tolerated and has little clean-standard friction, with irritation more tied to finished-formula pH and total salt load than to the material itself. It is not a common fragrance allergen or a typical restricted-list ingredient.

Is magnesium citrate sustainable?

This material is commonly made by reacting a fermentation-derived organic acid with a mineral source. In water, it dissociates into familiar ions, with low persistence and low bioaccumulation concern.

Is magnesium citrate COSMOS-approved?

It is generally compatible with COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards when made from permitted mineral and fermentation-derived inputs. Its Green Chemistry profile is favorable because it is water-compatible, simple to process, and not environmentally persistent.

How does magnesium citrate work chemically?

The molecule is an ionic salt built from a divalent mineral cation and a tricarboxylate organic anion, so it is water soluble and primarily affects ionic strength and buffering behavior. It is stable across typical cosmetic pH ranges, but high electrolyte levels can thin some polymer gels or shift emulsion stability, so formulators usually add it with pH and viscosity checks.

Last updated 2026-05-13