Does ferulic acid lighten skin?
What Is Ferulic Acid?
Ferulic acid (FA) is a phenolic acid widely found in the plant kingdom. It is more easily absorbed than other phenolic acids and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It is a tyrosinase inhibitor that can be combined with various strong antioxidants (such as resveratrol, vitamin C, etc.) to enhance the effect. It is a multi-effect seed player that can whiten and resist oxidation, as well as protect against sunburn and reduce inflammation. It was first isolated from Ferula in 1866, so it was named ferulic acid. Ferulic acid (FA) exists in many plants and mainly acts as an antioxidant in leaves. It can also act as a germination inhibitor, bird repellent and increase the resistance of plants to pests. It is mainly found in the bran of corn, rice, wheat, barley, oats and many other fruits and vegetables. It mainly exists as a monomer covalently bound to carbohydrates, glycoproteins, polyamines, lignin and hydroxy fatty acids.
There are two types of ferulic acid: cis and trans. The cis form is a yellow oily substance, and the trans form is an oblique square crystal, white or slightly yellow, and generally exists in a trans structure in nature. The trans structure is mainly used in cosmetics.
Ferulic acid has a protective effect on the main structures of the skin (keratinocytes, fibroblasts, collagen, elastin). It can promote the growth of polysaccharide adhesives connecting cells, just like making the chains between the various layers of the skin tighter and stronger, thereby enhancing the firmness of the skin's internal "cohesion" and offsetting the skin sagging caused by various reasons such as aging and weight loss.
What Are The Functions Of Ferulic Acid?
Ferulic acid can enter the human body through transdermal absorption, and the permeability coefficient is positively correlated with the concentration. This allows ferulic acid to play a skin care role by applying it.
The skin care effects of ferulic acid are mainly manifested in four aspects:
1.Antioxidant
When the skin is stimulated by ultraviolet rays, a large number of free radicals will be produced; the human body will also produce a large number of free radicals during its own metabolism. Free radicals will attack normal cells and destroy body tissues. If not removed in time, it will cause skin aging, sagging, pigmentation, spots, and roughness.
Ferulic acid has strong antioxidant properties and can effectively remove various free radicals such as hydrogen peroxide, superoxide free radicals, and hydroxyl free radicals. It is a natural free radical scavenger. It can also remove excess active oxygen in the body and inhibit oxidative stress by inhibiting the generation of lipid peroxide MDA.
2.Sunscreen
Ferulic acid has an absorption effect on ultraviolet rays and can prevent or reduce the damage to the skin caused by ultraviolet rays in this wavelength range. Ferulic acid can be used as a natural sunscreen. When used with traditional sunscreen, it can play a dual protection role and minimize the damage of ultraviolet rays to the skin.
3.Whitening
The production and deposition of melanin is the most fundamental reason for skin darkening, among which tyrosinase is the key enzyme in the formation of melanin. The structure of ferulic acid is similar to that of tyrosinase and levodopa, the natural substrate of tyrosinase. It can competitively inhibit the activity of tyrosinase and reduce the production of melanin, thereby achieving the effect of whitening and lightening spots.
4.Anti-inflammatory and antibacterial
Ferulic acid can exert anti-inflammatory effects by inhibiting the production and release of inflammatory mediators and the activation of inflammatory cells. Ferulic acid has an inhibitory effect on a variety of bacteria and can destroy the cell wall and cell membrane of bacteria, thereby killing bacteria.
What Are The Properties Of Ferulic Acid?
Ferulic acid has excellent skin care effects, but it is very difficult to formulate ferulic acid into skin care products. Ferulic acid is very stable in the form of solid powder. However, in aqueous solution, it is easily affected by light, pH value, and temperature and decomposes, losing activity.
Experiments show that when exposed to sunlight, the content of ferulic acid will drop sharply within three days, and sunlight has a greater impact on the stability of ferulic acid. Therefore, products containing ferulic acid should be packaged in dark colors or protected from light, and should not be stored in places exposed to sunlight.
The pH value also has a great influence on the stability of ferulic acid: under low pH conditions, the stability of ferulic acid is relatively good and the degradation rate is slow; under high pH conditions, the degradation of ferulic acid is significantly accelerated, and Colored products are generated, causing the product to change color and taste.
Temperature also affects the stability of ferulic acid. Experiments show that as the temperature increases, the degradation rate of ferulic acid increases significantly. Therefore, products containing ferulic acid should be stored at low temperatures as much as possible. Especially in summer, it is best to keep it in the refrigerator.
What Is The Application Of Ferulic Acid?
Ferulic acid has a wide range of functions and is widely used in medicine, food, beauty and skin care products and other industries.
In the food field, ferulic acid is widely used as a food additive due to its strong antioxidant properties. It can effectively prevent the quality loss of food caused by oxidation during storage and processing, thereby extending the shelf life of food. Ferulic acid also has a certain antibacterial effect, which can prevent food corruption and bacterial contamination. Therefore, it is often added to a variety of foods such as edible oils, beverages, and meat products to improve their stability and safety.
In the cosmetics field, ferulic acid is widely used in various skin care products due to its excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. It can effectively remove free radicals and reduce the damage to the skin caused by environmental factors such as ultraviolet rays, thereby protecting skin health. Ferulic acid can also promote the regeneration and repair of skin cells, improve skin texture and elasticity, and make the skin smoother and more delicate. Therefore, it is often added to a variety of skin care products such as creams, essences, and masks to meet people's pursuit of beautiful skin.