Monosodium Citrate

Monosodium citrate is a sodium salt of citric acid commonly used as a buffering agent, used to adjust and stabilize product pH for skin-contact formulas, supporting formulation consistency, shelf reliability, and compatibility with a wide range of actives and excipients.
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Ingredient Snapshot

Overview
A buffering ingredient that keeps products gentle and pH-balanced.
Category
Sensitive Skin
Type
Buffer

Ingredient Ratings

Overall Rating

Great

Comedogenic Risk

None

Skin Benefits

Helps keep products feeling gentle by maintaining a skin-friendly acidity, reducing the chance of sting from active formulas.

Uses In Skincare & Cosmetics

Used across cleansers, serums, and moisturizers to maintain consistent performance and feel throughout the product's life.

Comedogenic Rating

This ingredient is not typically evaluated for comedogenicity, and no standardized rating is available.

Safety

Generally very safe and non-sensitizing in cosmetics. Any stinging usually reflects the overall formula's acidity rather than the buffer itself. No common regulatory restrictions for standard cosmetic use.

Is Monosodium Citrate a Good Ingredient?

As a well-established, stable pH buffer, it keeps formulas consistent and gentle, with a strong safety record and minimal irritation at typical use levels, which earns it Great.

Products with Monosodium Citrate

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