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There’s nothing more exciting than discovering a new anti-aging ingredient that fits perfectly into your existing skincare routine. Due to its powerful antioxidant properties, ferulic acid has become a popular ingredient among many skincare enthusiasts.
What is Ferulic Acid?
Ferulic acid is an antioxidant that’s naturally found in the cell walls of oats, rice, bran, apples, and oranges. In terms of skincare, ferulic acid is often applied either in the form of a serum or cream. But of course, ferulic acid serums are more potent and can penetrate skin better.
Why add ferulic acid to your skincare routine? The popularity of ferulic acid is deeply rooted in its anti-aging properties. But ferulic acid is also known for its ability to reduce inflammation, to minimize visible signs of premature aging in skin, and to shield skin from environmental stressors. Though ferulic acid doesn’t necessarily “repair” the damage that has already occurred in skin, it neutralizes free radicals to prevent further damage.
What’s unique about ferulic acid is that it works well with other key antioxidants and can help stabilize them to boost their effectiveness. For this reason, ferulic acid is often paired with other ingredients like vitamin C and vitamin E.
What are Antioxidants?
Various environmental factors can compromise the integrity of skin, including the pollution in air and UV rays. That said, regular exposure to environmental stressors can degrade the overall quality of skin causing dullness, dark spots, and fine lines or wrinkles.
Antioxidants are not only great for our health, but also our skin. The main reason being, antioxidants can neutralize free radicals to prevent oxidative stress — minimizing the damage brought on by environmental factors.
Who should use Ferulic Acid?
Incorporating ferulic acid into an existing skincare routine can be especially beneficial to those who are mostly concerned about aging skin. That said, it’s a great addition to your routine if you’re looking for a simple way to give your anti-aging regimen a boost.
Benefits of Ferulic Acid for the Skin
Boosts effectiveness of vitamin C and E
As mentioned, ferulic acid can enhance the effectiveness of other antioxidants and is often combined with other important ingredients like vitamin C, vitamin E, and resveratrol. More specifically, ferulic acid can improve the chemical stability of L-ascorbic acid (a derivative of vitamin C), which can increase its photoprotection or ability to minimize sun damage.
Reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
Antioxidants are known for their anti-aging skin benefits. In addition to minimizing visible signs of premature aging in skin, ferulic acid can encourage cell turnover and boost elasticity to give skin a more youthful appearance.
Firms skin
Collagen in skin tends to break down over time. However, regular exposure to pollution and UV rays can also cause premature aging in skin and contribute to the loss of elasticity. As an antioxidant, ferulic acid helps neutralize free radicals to preserve and protect the integrity of skin, while firming up sagging skin.
Minimizes dark spots
The anti-inflammatory properties of ferulic acid can help soothe skin and calm breakouts. Hence, using ferulic acid on skin may reduce the risk of developing dark spots from acne.
Improves hyperpigmentation
Ferulic acid may inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that’s responsible for melanin production. So using ferulic acid on skin can be beneficial for brightening dull skin and fading dark spots.
How to Incorporate Ferulic Acid into an Existing Skincare Routine
In terms of skincare, products containing ferulic acid can be used daily. Furthermore, it’s recommended to be incorporated into your morning skincare routine because it has the ability to boost SPF protection against UVA and UVB rays.
Another reason to use ferulic acid in the morning? It helps protect your skin from the environmental stressors it’ll come into contact with throughout the day. Ultimately, it’s best to use ferulic acid after cleansing skin and before applying SPF.
What to Keep in Mind When Using Ferulic Acid for the Skin
Because there are few known side effects to using ferulic acid on skin, it’s generally considered to be safe for most skin types. However, if you have sensitive skin, it’s always a good idea to do a patch test first to see how your skin will react.
Ultimately, you should definitely stop using ferulic acid if you start to experience any sort of irritation, such as redness, itching, or skin peeling.
Also, it’s important to keep in mind that some forms of ferulic acid are sourced from fruits and grains. For this reason, anyone with food allergies should err on the side of caution and consult with a medical professional or dermatologist before using ferulic acid.
How to Store Serums Containing Ferulic Acid
Ferulic acid serums are usually packaged in dark or opaque bottles. To preserve the integrity of your serum, be sure to store it in a cool spot — or away from any heat or moisture.
Keep in mind, ferulic acid tends to turn to a muddy brown color when it oxidizes. So if you start to notice any color changes in a serum, you can expect its quality to be diminished.
Precautions When Using Ferulic Acid for Skin
As mentioned, few known side effects have been specifically linked to ferulic acid. However, any antioxidant always has the potential to be too activating for some skin types. So even if you don’t have sensitive skin, we always recommend doing a patch test before adding any new ingredient to an existing skincare routine. That said, you should never use ferulic acid with any exfoliating acids like lactic, glycolic, or salicylic acid.
Recommended Ferulic Acid Serums
- Marie Veronique Vitamin C+E+Ferulic Acid Serum
- Maya Chia The Super Lift Vitamin C-More Treatment
- Acure Organics Brightening Vitamin C & Ferulic Acid Oil Free Serum
Conclusion
Ferulic acid can work wonders for rejuvenating skin and protecting it from the damage brought on by environmental stressors we encounter daily. If you’re looking for a simple way to give your entire skincare routine a boost, then you might want to give ferulic acid a try.
Already using ferulic acid? Let us know in the comments down below about your personal experience with ferulic acid — and of course, if you have any questions or product recommendations for us!
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