ACTIVE
Triethyl Citrate
Triethyl Citrate
A citric acid based ingredient used in deodorants to help keep underarms smelling fresh by working on the way odour forms, rather than masking it.
Source
An ester of citric acid and ethanol
Used for
Underarm freshness
How it works
Freshness from citric acid.
Triethyl citrate is an ester made from citric acid, the acid of citrus fruits, and ethanol. It is a liquid, oily ingredient, and in cosmetics it is classed with the deodorising ingredients.
Underarm odour is not caused by sweat itself. Fresh secretions are odourless, and the smell forms when the bacteria that naturally live on underarm skin break them down into volatile odour molecules. Triethyl citrate works on this process: it is broken down by the skin's bacterial flora in place of body sweat, into substances with little odour.
Because it works on how odour forms rather than covering it with fragrance, it is used as an active ingredient in deodorants. It is also used in perfumes and as a softening ingredient in some hair and skin products.
Underarm odour is not caused by sweat itself. Fresh secretions are odourless, and the smell forms when the bacteria that naturally live on underarm skin break them down into volatile odour molecules. Triethyl citrate works on this process: it is broken down by the skin's bacterial flora in place of body sweat, into substances with little odour.
Because it works on how odour forms rather than covering it with fragrance, it is used as an active ingredient in deodorants. It is also used in perfumes and as a softening ingredient in some hair and skin products.
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01
Helps keep underarms smelling fresh
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02
Works on the way odour forms, not just masking it
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03
Made from citric acid, the acid of citrus fruits
Questions
How does triethyl citrate help with odour?
Underarm odour forms when skin bacteria break down odourless secretions into volatile, smelly molecules. Triethyl citrate is broken down by the skin's bacterial flora instead of body sweat, into substances with little odour, so it works on the source of the smell. (James et al., 2013; COSMILE Europe)
Is triethyl citrate natural?
It is made from citric acid and ethanol, and the European cosmetic ingredient database lists its origin as synthetic or plant. (COSMILE Europe)
Why is it often paired with other ingredients in deodorants?
Deodorants can work in several ways: managing the bacteria behind odour, binding odour molecules, or adding fragrance. Triethyl citrate sits comfortably alongside other freshening ingredients, such as shikimic acid, a plant acid mainly obtained from star anise that a recent review lists among cosmetic ingredients with deodorising activity. (COSMILE Europe; Batory and Rotsztejn, 2022)
Where it comes from
Triethyl citrate is made by joining citric acid, the acid of citrus fruits, with ethanol. (PubChem)
In cosmetics it is listed as a fragrance functional ingredient and plasticiser, and it is grouped with the deodorising ingredients used in deodorants and foot care. It is also used as a softener in hairsprays and as an emulsifier in creams. (COSMILE Europe)
In cosmetics it is listed as a fragrance functional ingredient and plasticiser, and it is grouped with the deodorising ingredients used in deodorants and foot care. It is also used as a softener in hairsprays and as an emulsifier in creams. (COSMILE Europe)
The research
- James AG, Austin CJ, Cox DS, Taylor D, Calvert R. Microbiological and biochemical origins of human axillary odour. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. 2013;83(3):527-540. PMID: 23278215. (opens in a new tab)
- Batory M, Rotsztejn H. Shikimic acid in the light of current knowledge. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology. 2022;21(2):501-505. PMID: 33825313. (opens in a new tab)
- COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe) cosmetic ingredient database: Triethyl Citrate (Citric Acid, Triethyl Ester; functions: fragrance functional, plasticiser; origin: synthetic/plant; substance group: deodorising ingredients) (opens in a new tab)
- COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe) substance group: Deodorising ingredients (ways of deodorisation; examples include Triethyl Citrate) (opens in a new tab)
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. PubChem Compound Summary for CID 6506, Triethyl Citrate (triethyl 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3-tricarboxylate, C12H20O7) (opens in a new tab)
Found In
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