MALIC ACID
Malic acid is an organic acid in the hydroxy dicarboxylic acid group. It takes part in metabolic processes in living organisms and can also occur in plants; it has been reported, for example, in tea and potatoes. That is why the name may come up in food discussions as well as on cosmetic labels, but the ingredient in a formula does not have to be extracted from one particular plant.
MALIC ACID: what it is
Malic acid is an organic acid in the hydroxy dicarboxylic acid group. It takes part in metabolic processes in living organisms and can also occur in plants; it has been reported, for example, in tea and potatoes. That is why the name may come up in food discussions as well as on cosmetic labels, but the ingredient in a formula does not have to be extracted from one particular plant.
Industrial malic acid can be made by fermentation or by converting fumaric or maleic acid. These routes explain why the same name can refer to a raw material made in different ways. On a label, MALIC ACID identifies the substance in the composition, not the route used to make it.
MALIC ACID: what it does in cosmetics
In cosmetics, MALIC ACID can work as a buffering agent. In practical terms, it helps keep a formula's pH within its intended range, limiting shifts that would change the product's acidity. This matters when liquid cleansers, lotions, or other products are expected to keep their intended characteristics during use.
Malic acid is also described as a pH adjuster in cosmetic safety assessments. That use does not, by itself, promise exfoliation, skin renewal, or treatment; it concerns control of a formula's acidity. The benefit a person notices depends on the finished product and on the amount actually used in the preparation.
MALIC ACID: conditions and care
In clinical tests reported in a safety assessment, irritation from malic acid was lower when the pH of the applied material was higher. This result depends on the conditions assessed and does not quantify the effect of a particular finished formula.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
