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Ingredient on hair labels

Citric Acid

TheWashDay editorial · Updated · From the EU ingredient register and the makers’ own labels · How we match names

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Citric Acid is on 93 of the 177 hair-product labels we compare, from 28 makers. Its uses in the EU ingredient register are buffering, chelating and fragrance. 3 of these labels name it among the first five ingredients.

See it on each label Products without it

What it is

In the register’s words: “Citric Acid is the organic acid.”

EU register name (INCI)
CITRIC ACID
CAS number
77-92-9 / 5949-29-1
EC number
201-069-1

What the register lists it for

These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Citric 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.

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.”

Chelating

Binds metal ions, such as those in hard water, so they don’t spoil the product. Clarifying shampoos often list one.

Register definition: “Forming complexes with metal ions which could affect the stability and/or appearance of cosmetics.”

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.”

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.

Every label, product by product (93)

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

Find products without Citric Acid Check every name on your own label All ingredients on the labels we compare

Other buffering ingredients on these 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.