SPF Scout · Ingredient

Citric Acid

Buffering (holds the formula at a set acidity)Chelating (binds metal ions in the formula)Fragrance ingredient (scent)other

CAS 77-92-9

What this ingredient generally does

Citric Acid is a mild acid used to fine-tune a formula's pH. It keeps the acidity steady (buffering), binds trace metals that would spoil the formula (chelating), and can add a scent note.

Reviewed before publication. This note describes function in a formulation — nothing else.

Published formulations that list this ingredient

These are the formulations currently published in the SPF Scout catalog whose stored ingredient declaration includes this ingredient. It is not a list of every product on the market, and the order carries no meaning.

Checking this against your own list

You can select this ingredient in the SPF Scout app as one to flag. The app compares your selections against a product's stored declaration on your device; your list never reaches this website.

This comparison does not predict whether your skin will react.

Where this information comes from

Ingredient names, CAS numbers and recorded functions come from SPF Scout’s curated ingredient dictionary, grounded in CosIng, the European Commission’s Cosmetic Ingredient Database. Content © European Union, reused with acknowledgement.

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