Citric Acid is a weak acid found naturally in citrus fruits like lemons and limes. It is also used as an additive in processed foods, medicines, personal care products, and cleaning products. Citric Acid has protective antioxidant, and corrective antiaging effects helping to reverse visible signs of photodamage. It exfoliates the upper layer of dead skin cells to help clean pores, even skin tone and soften and smooth the skin. It also helps maintain the skin's pH levels.
Exfoliates to rid skin of dead cells, promoting exfoliation Helps to unclog pores Targets the skin’s hydrating support matrix to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles Helps to even skin tone Helps to brighten, soften and smooth the skin Contains protective antioxidants Helps maintain the skin's pH levels Helps preserve the shelf life of skincare products Acts as an astringent to clarify the skin and dissolve excess oils Helps balance the pH of skincare products Can be used as a chemical exfoliant to reveal a brighter, tighter, more youthful complexion It is used to keep food fresh for longer periods. In some cases, it may prevent foodborne botulism, an illness that can be caused by home-canned foods that are low in acid. It may keep cosmetics and other products fresh for longer. It can kill bacteria and lower the acid in urine. For this reason, it’s added to some cleaning products.
Citric Acid is generally considered safe for all skin types, except for those with known allergies or especially sensitive skin.
Citric acid is considered gentler and more mild than others, it is still an acid, which means there's always some potential for irritation. This holds especially true for those with sensitive skin or an inflammatory skin condition, such as rosacea. Skin irritation. When it touches your skin for long periods of time, it can cause stinging, swelling, or hives. Eye pain. It will burn if it gets in your eyes. If this happens, flush them well with water for several minutes. If you wear contact lenses, take them out as soon as you can. Tooth problems. Drinks and candies that contain citric acid can wear away the enamel (the outer layer) of your teeth. This can make your teeth more sensitive, turn them yellow, and make it more likely you'll get cavities. Upset stomach. If you take a medicine with citric acid by mouth, you can have side effects like nausea or vomiting.
Avoid using citric acid at the same time as any retinoid, as this can lead to irritation and redness. If you want to use them both in one day, use the citric acid in the morning and the retinoid at night. Citric acid can increase the skin's sensitivity to the sun, so it is important to wear sunscreen when using it.
Citric Acid is a type of alpha-hydroxy acid that's extracted from citrus fruits such as lemons, limes, oranges, and grapefruits, as well as other fruits such as berries. It can also be found in plants like strawberries, raspberries, pineapple, cherries, tomatoes, and vegetables like artichokes, broccoli, and some lettuces. It's not just sour citrus fruits that have citric acid. All plants and animals have small traces of it.
CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
EWG's Skin Deep®
Citric Acid works by exfoliating the upper layer of dead skin cells to help clean pores, even skin tone and soften and smooth the skin. AHAs can also be used as pH adjusters. pH adjusters are ingredients added to products to ensure they are mild and non-irritating – not too acidic (low pH) or too basic (high pH). Most recently, Citric Acid has also been found to be important in healthy skin barrier function by maintaining the optimum level of pH in areas of the skin which are essential for normal skin barrier function.
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