ZINC CITRATE
Zinc citrate is the salt formed from zinc and citric acid. In oral-care products, the name may appear in toothpastes and other products made for cleaning the mouth; it is not the same ingredient as citric acid used on its own to adjust a formula's acidity.
ZINC CITRATE: what it is
Zinc citrate is the salt formed from zinc and citric acid. In oral-care products, the name may appear in toothpastes and other products made for cleaning the mouth; it is not the same ingredient as citric acid used on its own to adjust a formula's acidity.
The distinction matters because zinc citrate combines the mineral zinc with citrate in one substance. It is therefore selected for oral-care purposes, whereas citric acid on its own is commonly associated with acidity-related uses. It is not a plant, extract, or oil, but a zinc salt of citric acid.
ZINC CITRATE: what it does in cosmetics
In dental products, zinc citrate has antimicrobial, antiplaque, and oral-care functions. In everyday terms, these roles relate to controlling microorganisms in the mouth and helping limit the build-up of dental biofilm, the layer that forms on teeth and is commonly called plaque.
A short clinical study compared a toothpaste containing 1% zinc citrate with a control formula and found fewer measured bacteria in oral samples and in biofilm formed during the test. That result belongs to that toothpaste and its study conditions; it does not make zinc citrate alone a treatment for gingivitis, cavities, or another oral disease.
Restrictions and conditions of use
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
