Citrus Tangerina Extract

Citrus Tangerina Extract is exactly what it sounds like: a botanical extract from the tangerine fruit. In skincare, it's mostly along for the ride as a supporting "nice extra" rather than a hero ingredient.

Animal and lab studies show that the flavonoids in it act as antioxidants and help calm inflammation. But we still need human skin studies at a cosmetic dose to get a better understanding of all the perks of this ingredient.

One industry survey found citrus extracts are usually used anywhere from trace amounts up to 1-1.5% (and sometimes higher in masks).

Regulators consider the whole citrus-extract family safe for leave-on and rinse-off products as long as it's formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. Leave-on products must also stay under 15 ppm of 5-Methoxypsoralen, a naturally occurring citrus compound that can cause sun-triggered reactions.

This extract itself is not a common allergen but as with any botanical extracts, people with sensitivies may react to it. Just be sure to patch test if you're unsure.

Phototoxicity concern

This concern comes from undiluted lime and lemon juice or peel oils. This is a real thing, but a cosmetic-dose tangerine extract is a very different situation; mandarins and tangerines are generally low in those compounds anyway.