Citric Acid
pH adjuster · INCI: Citric Acid
Reviewed by Elysiana Aguilar, master esthetician
How we read it
Not a pore-clogger. Considered safe for acne-prone skin.
Is Citric Acid comedogenic?
No. Citric Acid isn't considered pore-clogging, and we read it as safe to use on acne-prone skin. That doesn't make it right for everyone, but congestion isn't the thing to watch for with it.
Why we read it this way
Citric acid is here to set a formula's pH, not to treat skin. It is used in tiny amounts, is fully water-soluble, and has no relationship to the oils and esters on our pore-clogging references.
The nuance
At pH-adjusting levels it is not working as an exfoliating acid, so it is not doing what an AHA product would claim to do.
Related ingredients
One ingredient rarely tells the whole story. The acne ingredient checker reads everything in a product at once, and there is more on what comedogenic means. Also in the guides: The types of acne lesions.