Is Citric Acid Hydrate safe in cosmetics?
Citric Acid Hydrate has a safety rating of "EXCELLENT" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Citric Acid Hydrate
Also known as: Citric acid monohydrate, UNII-2968PHW8QP
INCI: CITRIC ACID
Citric Acid Hydrate (CAS 5949-29-1) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as pH adjuster, chelating agent, buffering. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 5949-29-1 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Function
pH adjuster, chelating agent, buffering
Safety Rating
EXCELLENT
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylic acid;hydrate
InChIKey
YASYEJJMZJALEJ-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) by FDA; widely used as food and cosmetic acidulant and pH adjuster
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Citric Acid Hydrate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
GHS Hazard Classification
Globally Harmonized System classification per ECHA C&L inventory and ILO/WHO International Chemical Safety Cards.
Short-term Exposure Effects
The aerosol is irritating to the eyes, skin and respiratory tract.
Routes of Exposure
The substance can be absorbed into the body by inhalation of its aerosol and by ingestion.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Citric Acid Hydrate, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
3-6%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
stratum corneum
Molecular Weight
192.1 Da
Log P
-1.72
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
2-4%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: CIR
Typical Use Concentrations
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 0.05–1 | 10 | CIR (cited: used in 6500+ products) |
| Face Cream | 0.05–1 | 10 | CIR |
Additional Ingredient Properties
10 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
acne
{"cas_number": "77-92-9", "anti_acne_mechanism": "keratolytic", "comedogenicity_rating_0_to_5": "0", "acne_type_efficacy": "non_inflammatory", "sebum_reduction_pct_clinical": "5-10", "keratolytic_strength": "mild", "exfoliation_mechanism": "chemical", "optimal_ph_for_efficacy": "3.0-4.0", "aha_type": "citric", "peel_depth": "superficial", "prescription_required_usa": "No", "otc_drug_monograph_cate…
anti_pollution
{"cas_number": "77-92-9", "ingredient_class": "heavy_metal_chelator", "primary_mechanism": "chelation", "pollution_types_targeted": "heavy_metals", "IR_A_protection": "no", "visible_light_protection": "no", "digital_screen_protection_claim": "no", "PAH_neutralization": "no", "ozone_protection": "no", "mitochondrial_protection": "no", "Nrf2_activation": "no", "AhR_pathway_modulation": "no", "NF_kB_…
baby_pediatric
{"cas_number": "77-92-9/5949-29-1", "ingredient_class": "other", "pediatric_safety_rating": "good", "minimum_age_months": "0", "neonatal_safe": "yes", "premature_infant_safe": "yes", "skin_barrier_maturity_consideration": "pH adjuster, chelator, GRAS, buffering agent", "transepidermal_absorption_risk_pediatric": "very_low", "dose_per_kg_body_weight_concern": "Safe", "skin_surface_area_to_weight_ra…
comedogenicity_detail
{"comedogenicity_rating": "0", "irritancy_rating": "2", "skin_type_suitability": "all,combination,normal", "acne_safe": "yes", "source": "pH adjuster/AHA"}
concentration
{"min_concentration_pct": "0.5", "max_concentration_pct": "2.0", "typical_concentration_pct": "1.0", "product_type": "Cleanser", "function_at_concentration": "pH adjustment", "source": "CIR Safety Assessment"}
cost_pricing
{"cost_tier": "budget", "estimated_cost_per_kg_usd_low": "3", "estimated_cost_per_kg_usd_high": "6", "natural_premium_markup_pct": "0", "organic_certified_premium_pct": "0", "supply_chain_volatility": "low", "primary_source_region": "China", "bulk_discount_threshold_kg": "1000", "seasonal_price_variation": "low", "commodity_or_specialty": "commodity", "substitute_ingredients": "Tartaric Acid, Mali…
deodorant
{"cas_number": "77-92-9", "ingredient_class": "other", "mechanism_of_action": "pH_modification", "antiperspirant_efficacy_sweat_reduction_pct": "0", "deodorant_efficacy_hours": "0", "odor_reduction_pct": "0", "bacteriostatic": "no", "bactericidal": "no", "microbiome_impact": "neutral", "axillary_microbiome_effect": "varies by ingredient", "MIC_value_if_antimicrobial": "varies", "astringency_level"…
depigmentation
{"cas_number": "77-92-9", "ingredient_class": "keratinocyte_turnover_enhancer", "primary_mechanism_of_action": "AHA for pH adjustment and gentle exfoliation", "secondary_mechanisms": "Variable", "molecular_target": "other", "tyrosinase_inhibition_IC50_uM": "varies", "tyrosinase_inhibition_type": "competitive", "melanin_reduction_pct_in_vitro": "25-45", "melanin_reduction_pct_clinical": "15-30", "o…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (1)
ICSC Safety Card
0704
Source: ILO-WHO International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSCs)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Processing aids not otherwise specified
pH regulating agent
Regulatory List Membership (1)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Citric Acid Hydrate.
Regulatory Flags
ph-adjuster
chelating-agent
gras
cir-assessed
buffering
low-hazard
epa_safer_alternative
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Citric Acid Hydrate by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
10
Lowest NOAEL
250 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
4000 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Citric acid monohydrate
UNII-2968PHW8QP
Chemical Function
pH regulating agent
Processing aids not otherwise specified
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
Europe; Personal care - hair styling and care - shampoo-dandruff
SCIL (9/2019)
inert_ingredient; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
CITRIC ACID MONOHYDRATE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL2107737
Max Phase
-1
Adverse Event Associations
169
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Citric Acid Hydrate allowed in the EU?
Citric Acid Hydrate EU regulatory status: permitted. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Citric Acid Hydrate do in cosmetics?
Citric Acid Hydrate functions as: pH adjuster, chelating agent, buffering. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 5949-29-1.
Is Citric Acid Hydrate used outside cosmetics?
Citric Acid Hydrate also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Citric Acid Hydrate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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