Ferulic Acid

Ferulic acid is a very common phenolic acid in all plants and can be found in large amounts in cereals, cereal sprouts, and leafy greens.

It is a powerful antioxidant, not only for the skin but also for other ingredients in the skincare formula. When added to the product, it improves the stability of other oxidation-sensitive ingredients, prevents them from oxidizing or going rancid and, of course, also helps the skin to combat the effects of oxidative damage. It is commonly added to sunscreens.

Ferulic acid started its career in cosmetics as a stabilizer and conservant. It was shown in a study that ferulic acid was able to stabilize vitamin C and vitamin E and prevent their unwanted oxidation in a skincare formula.

Moreover, ferulic acid also has its own potent antioxidant activity which doubled the effects of vitamins C + E. This is mainly used as a protection against photoaging (because sunlight damages the skin mainly via free radicals and oxidative compounds).

Ferulic acid is a beneficial addition to sunscreens as an additional UV light absorbing component (although it should never be used for this on its own). Ferulic acid has its own tiny ability to act as a UV light protecting ingredient, although it is still more beneficial to mix it with other UV filters because ferulic acid will enhance the overall effect. Its antioxidant properties are also beneficial for the healing of sun-damaged skin, as stated above.

The main advantage of ferulic acid when compared to other phenolic acids (such as caffeic acid or chlorogenic acid) is its superior ability to penetrate into the epidermal cells. It has been shown that ferulic acid penetrates the skin’s surface to reach the deeper layers.

All these activities and properties make ferulic acid a beneficial addition to any skincare routine.