Malic Acid. May Contain: CI 77891 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily used as an alpha hydroxy acid for pH adjustment, gentle exfoliation, and smoothing in skin care. It can also help buffer formulas and support mild chelation in water-based systems.
What does Malic Acid. May Contain: CI 77891 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily used as an alpha hydroxy acid for pH adjustment, gentle exfoliation, and smoothing in skin care. It can also help buffer formulas and support mild chelation in water-based systems.
Is Malic Acid. May Contain: CI 77891 clean?
It is generally accepted in clean-beauty frameworks and is not a common restricted-list concern. Sensory sting and irritation potential rise at low pH or higher use levels, so concentration, final pH, and product category matter.
Is Malic Acid. May Contain: CI 77891 sustainable?
This ingredient can be made through fermentation or synthetic routes, so sustainability depends on the feedstock and supplier process. It is water soluble and readily biodegradable, with low persistence concerns in rinse-off use.
Is Malic Acid. May Contain: CI 77891 COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted in COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic formulas when the grade and manufacturing route meet natural-origin criteria. It aligns well with Green Chemistry when fermentation-derived, biodegradable, and processed without high-concern solvents.
How does Malic Acid. May Contain: CI 77891 work chemically?
The molecule is a small dicarboxylic alpha hydroxy acid, with one hydroxyl group and two carboxyl groups that give water solubility, acidity, and mild chelating behavior. It is often used around 0.1 to 2% for pH adjustment and about 1 to 10% in exfoliating systems, with activity increasing as final formula pH moves below about 4.
Last updated 2026-05-13