Citric Acid-Derived Ingredients
Safety Information
Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety
The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety assessed the safety of citric acid, 12 inorganic citrate salts and 20 citrate esters in 2014 and concluded the following ingredients are safe under current conditions of use and concentration in cosmetics and personal care products:
| Inorganic salts | Alkyl esters: |
| Citric Acid | Isodecyl Citrate
|
| Aluminum Citrate
|
Isopropyl Citrate*
|
| Calcium Citrate*
|
Stearyl Citrate
|
| Copper Citrate*
|
Dilauryl Citrate
|
| Diammonium Citrate
|
Distearyl Citrate*
|
| Disodium Cupric Citrate*
|
Tributyl Citrate
|
| Ferric Citrate
|
Tri-c12-13 Alkyl Citrate
|
| Magnesium Citrate
|
Tri-c14-15 Alkyl Citrate
|
| Manganese Citrate*
|
Tricaprylyl Citrate
|
| Monosodium Citrate
|
Triethyl Citrate
|
| Potassium Citrate
|
Triethylhexyl Citrate |
| Sodium Citrate
|
Trihexyldecyl Citrate*
|
| Zinc Citrate
|
Tri-isocetyl Citrate
|
| Triisopropyl Citrate*
|
|
| Trilauryl Citrate* | |
| Trioctyldodecyl Citrate
|
|
| Trioleyl Citrate*
|
|
| Triisostearyl Citrate
|
|
| Tristearyl Citrate*
|
|
| Ethyl Citrates
|
*Not reported to be in current use. If these ingredients are used in the future, the expectation is that they would be used in product categories and at concentrations comparable to others in this group.
FDA
Citric acid, calcium citrate, potassium citrate, sodium citrate and triethyl citrate are on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) list of direct food substances affirmed as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS). FDA also permits tributyl citrate and triethyl citrate to be used as indirect food additives in some food packaging materials. (21CFR175.300; 21CFR175.320; 21CFR181.27; 21CFR175.105)
All ingredients reviewed by the Expert Panel are included in the EU inventory of cosmetic ingredients (CosIng) and may be used without restrictions in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European Union.
The safety of citric acid and its calcium, potassium and sodium salts has been assessed by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA), which concluded that these additives ‘do not constitute a significant toxicological hazard’ and it was therefore not necessary to set an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) limit. As such, the amount in food is limited only by the amount needed to achieve the technical function within the product.