1. Ferulic Acid Overview
Ferulic Acid (FA), also called 4-hydroxy-3-methoxycinnamicacid, is a cinnamic acid derivative. It is a kind of phenolic acid commonly found in many plants. Currently, Ferulic Acid mainly comes from natural plants and synthesis method. Plamed natural Ferulic Acid is extracted from rice bran. And we develop high purity Ferulic Acid of 99%. It is a natural cosmetic grade raw material. Plamed also produces synthetic Ferulic Acid with a good cost performance. Ferulic Acid has a variety of biological activities. It can scavenge free radicals, and promote the formation of enzymes that scavenge free radicals. It inhibits tyrosinase activity; it has good absorption ability of ultraviolet ray and trans-dermal absorption capacity. Therefore, Ferulic Acid has effect of whitening, anti-oxidation and sun protection. Cosmetics containing Ferulic Acid can improve skin dullness, as well as make skin delicate, shiny and full of elasticity. It is widely used in sun protection and whitening cosmetics.
| Product Name | CAS Number | INCI Name | |
| Ferulic Acid | 1135-24-6 | Ferulic Acid | |
| Molecular Weight | Molecular Formula | Molecular Structure | |
| 194.19g/mol | C10H10O4 |  |
|
| Product ID | Specificcation | Minimal Package | Minimal Order Quantity |
| PMFS0301 | Natural source 99% Synthesis 99% |
1KG | 1KG |
2. Ferulic Acid Source
Plamed develops natural Ferulic Acid and synthetic Ferulic Acid. Both of them are cosmetic grade raw materials, which can provide customers with different choice.
| Natural source | Chemical synthetic source | |
| Raw material | Rice bran | Vanillin and malonic acid |
| Specific process | Hydrolyze oryzanol (alcohol extract of rice bran) by sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide under 90-100℃ for 8h, then add sulfuric acid to adjust pH value to acidity, Ferulic Acid is precipitated. | Use anhydrous pyridine as solvent and piperidine as catalyst, then obtain Ferulic Acid by condensation reaction. |
| Advantage | The product obtained by this method is Cis-Ferulic Acid with high purity. The process is simple; the raw material is easy to get; the comprehensive benefit is high. | Raw materials are readily available; less expensive than natural sources. |
| Disadvantage | / | Ferulic acid obtained by this method is a mixture of Cis-Ferulic Acid And Trans-Ferulic Acid. Reaction time is long (up to 3 weeks); large solvent consumption, and low yield. |
3. Ferulic Acid Manufacturer Specifications
| Product Name | Specification |
| Ferulic Acid | Natural source 99% Synthesis 99% |
Natural Ferulic Acid Specification
| Items | Specifications |
| Assay | ≥99% HPLC |
| Appearance | White or off-white color powder |
| Odor | Characteristic |
| Extract solvent | Water & ethanol |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Moisture | ≤0.5% |
| Melting point | 170.0℃~174.0℃ |
| Natural degree c13 test | -33~36 |
| Natural degree C14/12test | 12-16 |
| Solvent residue | Ethanol≤1000ppm |
Synthetic Ferulic Acid Specification
| Items | Specifications |
| Assay | ≥99% |
| Appearance | White or yellowish needle-shaped crystal |
| Physical Characteristics | |
| Melting point | 172.0~175.0℃ |
| Moisture | ≤0.5% |
| Ash content | ≤0.1% |
| Heavy Metals | |
| Heavy metals | ≤10ppm |
| Related impurities | |
| Unspecified impurities | ≤0.1% |
| Total impurities | ≤0.5% |
4. Ferulic Acid Manufacturer Flow Chart
5. Ferulic Acid Benefits
- Anti-oxidation
Ferulic Acid, as a phenolic plant ingredient, can form relatively stable free radicals due to its conjugate system. Then it plays the role of stopping the free radical chain transfer in the automatic oxidation process of lipids. Therefore, Ferulic Acid has strong antioxidant activity, and can scavenge free radicals. Studies have shown that Ferulic Acid has a strong scavenging effect on DPPH free radicals, hydroxyl radicals and superoxide anions. Half inhibitory concentrations are 0.552mg /mL, 0.282mg /mL and 0.111mg /mL respectively. Ferulic Acid can also promote the production of free radical scavenging enzymes to achieve its anti-oxidative effect. It promotes the production of glutathione and NADP. When used in combination with vitamin C and vitamin E, it increases their stability and doubles their antioxidant capacity.
- Whitening
Ferulic Acid can inhibit tyrosinase activity. It can reduce the proliferation activity of melanocytes. Test result shows that when use 0.1-0.5% Ferulic Acid solution, the number of melanocytes decreases from 117±23/mm2 to 39±7/mm2. The inhibition rate of tyrosinase is up to 86%, when use 5mmol/L Ferulic Acid solution. Therefore, Ferulic Acid can whiten skin and remove spots. It has great whitening effect.
- Sun protection
Ferulic Acid has good sun protection function. It can effectively absorb the ultraviolet rays in the wavelength range of 290~330nm. Thereby it prevents or reduces skin damage caused by the ultraviolet rays. (The UV rays in the range of 305-310nm are most likely to induce the skin erythema).
6. Pharmacological studies of Ferulic Acid and cosmetics
| Test Item | Concentration | Result |
| Elimination of free radical DPPH | Half elimination quantity EC50: 0.226mg/mL | |
| Elimination of superoxide free radicals | Half elimination quantity EC50: 0.530 mg/mL | |
| Elimination of hydroxyl radicals | Half elimination quantity EC50: 0.283mg/mL | |
| Inhibition of lipid peroxidation | 12.5mmol/L | Inhibition rate: 67.8% |
| Promotion of collagen production by culture of human dermal fibroblasts | 0.08% | Promotion rate: 716.7（blank 100） |
| Promotion of keratinocytes proliferation by cell culture | 10ug/mL | Promotion rate: 234（blank 100） |
| Inhibition of tyrosinase activity | 0.5mmol/L | Inhibition rate: 53.9% |
| Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 activity | Half inhibition quantity IC50: 10umol/L | |
| Inhibition of interleukin -4 production | 4umol/L | Inhibition rate: 18.2% |
| Inhibition of mast cell activity | 4umol/L | Inhibition rate: 14.5% |
7. Plamed Ferulic Acid Characteristic
- Plamed Ferulic Acid has wide sources and price advantage;
- Good solubility; and the solution is clear and transparent.
8. Ferulic Acid Application and Reference Dosage
- Ferulic Acid contains a highly conjugated system. It can strongly absorb the ultraviolet rays of 290-350nm. 0.7% Ferulic Acid can effectively prevent skin erythema caused by UVB. It is an effective light stabilizer. It can resist light toxicity, and is widely used in sunscreen products.
- Ferulic Acid has a broad spectrum of anti-oxidative property, and also has skin whitening effect. It can be used in whitening and anti-aging cosmetics.
| Product | Reference Dosage |
| Ferulic Acid 99% | 0.3%-2.0% |
Attention:
- Ferulic Acid has good stability in buffer solution with pH 2.62-5.10. As the environment becomes more alkaline, Ferulic Acid is also degraded and deactivated. Therefore, when making cosmetics containing Ferulic Acid, pH value should be controlled in the above range.
- Ferulic Acid has poor photo-stability. When exposed to light, it is easy to be decomposed. It should be kept away from light.
Ferulic Acid application cases in major cosmetic brands in the world:
| Country | Brand | Product |
| China | Chando | Cellcrystal Whitening Emulsion, Crystal White Deeply Essence, Aging Resistance White Spot Corrector, Snow Whitening Lotion |
| Genuine Namir | Snow Rose Crystal Whitening Essence | |
| Korea | Su:m 37º | Secret Essence, Bright award Micro Whipping Deep Cleansing Foam |
| USA | Elizabeth Arden | Prevage City Smart Spf50 Hydrating Shield, Mad Hippie Hydrating Nutrient Mist, Prevage Anti-Aging Antioxidant Infusion Essence |
| KIEHL‘S CILANTRO | Orange Extract Pollutant Defending Masque | |
| Estee Lauder | Re-Nutriv Re-Creation Night Creme | |
| France | LA ROCHE-POSAY | Sensi White Eye Cream, Pigmentclar Serum |
| Lancome | Advanced Genifique |
9. Ferulic Acid Reference Formula
Whitening emulsion：
| Ingredient | Content（%） | Ingredient | Content（%） |
| Ferulic Acid | 0.5 | BHT | 0.01 |
| Monoglyceride | 10.0 | Butylparaben | 0.1 |
| Liquid paraffin | 10.0 | Propylene glycol | 10.0 |
| Mineral oil | 4.0 | Polyoxyethylene 20 cetyl ether | 2 |
| Cetyl alcohol | 5.0 | γ- tocopherol | 0.05 |
| Refined water | Add to 100 | ||
Skin care gel:
| Ingredient | Content（%） | Ingredient | Content（%） |
| Ferulic Acid | 0.5 | Lecithin | 6.0 |
| Shea butter | 3.0 | Chrysin | 0.1 |
| Vitamin A palmitate | 0.2 | Vitamin H | 0.08 |
| Sodium citrate | 0.5 | Glycerin | 0.2 |
| Carbamide | 0.2 | Sodium dichloroacetate | 0.5 |
| Hydrolyzed collagen | 2.0 | Xanthan gum | 1.4 |
| Sorbitol | 3.0 | Preservative | Appropriate |
| Refined water | Add to 100 | ||
Skin care emulsion:
| Ingredient | Content（%） | Ingredient | Content（%） |
| Ferulic Acid | 0.25 | Liquid paraffin | 20.0 |
| Paraffin | 4.0 | Glucose sesquistearate | 2.0 |
| Aluminium stearate | 0.4 | Naringin | 1.0 |
| Vitamin E acetate | 2.0 | Ascorbyl Palmitate | 0.1 |
| Glycerin | 5.0 | Preservative | Appropriate |
| Refined water | Add to 100 | ||
Skin care cream:
| Ingredient | Content（%） | Ingredient | Content（%） |
| Ferulic Acid | 1.0 | Squalane | 10 |
| Isopropyl myristate | 7.0 | Docosanol | 1.0 |
| Cetyl alcohol | 5.5 | Glycerin monostearate | 2.0 |
| D-α- tocopherol | 0.05 | POE(20) Sorbitan monostearate | 2.0 |
| Xanthan gum | 0.1 | 1,3 butanedio | 2.0 |
| Glycerin | 3.0 | Sorbitol | 5.0 |
| Activator | 0.2 | Ph regulator | Appropriate |
| Refined water | Add to 100 | ||
Shampoo：
| Ingredient | Content（%） | Ingredient | Content（%） |
| Ferulic Acid | 1.5 | Triethanolamine | 3.5 |
| Propylene glycol | 15.0 | Menthol | 0.1 |
| Ethanol | 15.0 | Polyoxyethylene hydrogenated castor oil | 0.5 |
| NSAIDs | 1.0 | Fragrance | 0.3 |
| Refined water | 65.1 | ||
10. Ferulic Acid Safety
- Ferulic Acid is included in The International Catalogue of Chinese Cosmetic Raw Materials Standards in 2010 issued by CAFFCI and On the Announcement of Name List of Cosmetics Raw Material published by CFDA in 2014. No reports show its insecurity.
- Cosmetic, Toiletry &Fragrance Association (CTFA) and European Union (EU) has specified Ferulic Acid as a cosmetics ingredient.
- Ferulic Acid has also be added to cosmetics as a sunscreen in Japan.
11. Packing and Storage
Package: Packed in 25kg paper drums with two plastic bags inside.
Storage: Stored in a cool dry place and away from direct sunlight and oxidizing agents.
12. Related Reading
Plamed focuses on natural cosmetic ingredients for more than 10 years. We have founded four subsidiary companies, which respectively develops different kinds of cosmetic raw material. Plamed is a company whose CEO is designated as the first secretary general of Shaanxi Plant Extraction Association.
As a professional Ferulic Acid manufacturer, Plamed have been constantly upgrading the production process. We firmly believe that good Ferulic Acid and good Ferulic Acid price will help customers make good terminal products and help customers win a lasting and broad market.
