What it is
- EU register name (INCI)
- ASCORBIC ACID
- CAS number
- 50-81-7 / 62624-30-0
- EC number
- 200-066-2 / 263-644-3
- Written on these labels as
- Ascorbic Acid; Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C)
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Ascorbic Acid in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Antioxidant
-
Slows the oxygen damage that makes oils go rancid in the bottle. Vitamin E (tocopherol) is the common one.
Register definition: “Inhibiting reactions promoted by oxygen, thus avoiding oxidation and rancidity.”
- Buffering
-
Keeps the product’s pH (how acidic it is) steady.
Register definition: “Stabilising the pH of an aqueous medium in a narrow range even if an acid or base is added. Altering and/or maintaining a cosmetic product's pH at the desired level.”
- Fragrance
-
Gives the product its smell or covers an unpleasant one. A label may name each scent ingredient or group them as Fragrance (Parfum).
Register definition: “Imparting an odour or taste. Creating a perceivable pleasant smell and/or masking a bad smell.”
- Skin conditioning
-
The register’s broad role for ingredients that keep skin in good condition. On a hair label it often sits beside a hair role, or marks a plant oil or extract.
Register definition: “Maintaining the skin in good condition.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Clarifying shampoos 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Clarifying shampoos without it
- Stylers 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Stylers without it
- Heat protectants 1 label First five names: 1 of 1 Heat protectants without it
- Hair oils 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Hair oils without it
Every label, product by product (4)
- Aunt Jackie's Power Wash Intense Moisture Clarifying Shampoo Clarifying shampoo 26th of 30 names
- Camille Rose Aloe Whipped Butter Gel Styler · listed as Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C) 15th of 18 names
- TRESemmé Protecting Heat Styling Spray Heat protectant 5th of 29 names
- Mielle Rosemary Mint Scalp & Hair Strengthening Oil Hair oil 26th of 32 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other antioxidant ingredients on these labels
- Tocopherol 45 labels
- Tocopheryl Acetate 30 labels
- Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil 7 labels
- Hydroxyacetophenone 6 labels
- Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate 3 labels
- Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Extract 3 labels
- Sodium Metabisulfite 3 labels
- Apium Graveolens (Celery) Seed Extract 2 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.