Ferulic Acid: The Antioxidant Boost Your Skin Care Needs

Acids sometimes get a bad wrap because they may sound serious, but friendly ferulic acid has your back and is safe to use daily for most people. From anti-aging results to antioxidant properties, ferulic acid is a friend with benefits. We got insight from experts on where the antioxidant comes from, what it’s good for and how to start incorporating it into your skin-care routine, as well as some products to try.

What is ferulic acid?

Ferulic acid, formally known as hydroxycinnamic acid, is a potent plant-based antioxidant. Its most notable benefit is its ability to protect against free radical damage, but it’s also well-known for anti-aging skin benefits, says SkinCeuticals Partner Physician dermatologist Sarah Boyce Sawyer, MD. It’s naturally found in plants including oats, citrus and apple seeds.

It boosts other antioxidants

Ferulic acid is often found in the mix with fellow antioxidants because it can boost the effects of these other beneficial ingredients, including vitamins A, C and E, says Dr. Sawyer. According to Delray Beach, FL dermatologist Dr. Janet Allenby, mixing ferulic acid with other commonly used antioxidants improves their power. She explains that “it supports the antioxidant cascade, as one antioxidant captures a free radical a little bit of free radical is present so another antioxidant can capture the smaller one.”

It can fight off free radicals

Free radicals, such as pollution, ultraviolet lights or cigarette smoke, can cause signs of aging to develop or worsen, which is why it’s important to protect your skin against them. “Ferulic acid is mainly used to fight off free radicals known for causing age-related skin concerns such as dark spots and wrinkles,” says Dr. Sawyer. In simpler terms, Dr. Allenby explains that antioxidants like ferulic acid help combat environmental damage that causes the skin to look weathered.

It helps with anti-aging

While ferulic acid can help preventatively with signs of aging by fighting against free radicals, it can also be beneficial going forward. “When added into skin-care products, it can provide visible anti-aging benefits,” says Dr. Sawyer. Some of these benefits include “reducing the appearance of lines and wrinkles, loss of firmness and dull skin.”

This all sounds great, so how can you add it to your routine?

Experts advise using ferulic acid in the morning. Dr. Allenby says she routinely uses it as part of her morning daily skin-care regimen. Dr. Sawyer says it should be one of the first steps in your skin-care routine. “This allows your skin to soak up all of the product after cleansing,” explains Sawyer. She suggests starting out with just two to three times per week usage, gradually working your way to daily use depending on your skin.

Products with ferulic acid

To get the antioxidant and anti-aging benefits of ferulic acid, you can try these expert-approved products. Dr. Allenby says she uses SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic ($169) daily. She notes that it’s very tolerable and has the best combination to fight daytime damage. Dr. Sawyer adds that it’s “clinically proven to reduce combined oxidative damage from free radicals. The antioxidant combination within C E Ferulic is an unparalleled industry gold standard.”

To address dark spots, try The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3% ($9). Kiehl’s Ferulic Brew Facial Treatment Essence with Lactic Acid ($54) is great signs of aging, and to improve skin texture, test Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Texture Renewal Serum ($72).

It's Personal

At NewBeauty, we get the most trusted information from the beauty authority delivered right to your inbox

hbspt.forms.create({ portalId: "8806970", formId: "a8aef9b2-6178-4dad-9e2a-98b7661febc2" }); Find a Doctor

Find a NewBeauty "Top Beauty Doctor" Near you

Select a state State AL AR AZ CA CO CT DC FL GA HI IA IL IN KY LA MA MD MI MN MO NC NE NJ NV NY OH OR PA SC TN TX UT VA WA WI Select a state Specialty Cosmetic Dentist Dermatologist Facial Plastic Surgeon Hair Restoration Specialist Oculoplastic Surgeon Periodontist Plastic Surgeon Prosthodontist Vein Specialist Select a state Treatment Abdominal thread lifts Accent your Body Acne Treatments Alexandrite Laser Arm Lift Asclera Bellafill Belotero Blue Light Body Body Lift Botox Botox Browlift Brachioplasty Brazilian Butt Lift Breast Augmentation Breast Augmentation with Fat Grafting Breast Implants Breast Implants with Saline Breast Implants with Silicone Breast Lift Breast Lift with Implants Breast Reconstruction Breast Reduction Browlift Butt Enhancement Carboxytherapy Cellulite Treatment Cheek Augmentation Cheek Augmentation with Fat Grafting Cheek Implants Cheek Lift Chemical Peels Chin Augmentation CO2 lasers Cool Lipo CoolSculpting CoolTone Crowns Dental Bonding Dental Implants Dimpleplasty Diode Laser Dysport embrace Active Scar Defense Emsculpt Endermologie Endoscopic Browlift Endoscopic Facelift Endoscopic Tummy Tuck Erbium Lasers Exilis Ultra 360 Eyelift Eyelift with Fat Grafting Face Facelift Facelift with Fat Grafting FaceTite Fat Melters and Fat Reducers Fat Transfer Forma Fractional CO2 lasers Fractional Resurfacing Lasers Fractora Glycolic Peels Glytone Enhanced Brightening Cream Gum Dermabrasion Gum Lift Hair Hair Removal Hair Transplant Hair-Loss Treatment Injectables & Fillers for Cheek Augmentation Injectables & Fillers for Eyelift Injectables & Fillers for Lip Enhancement Injectables And Fillers Injectables and Fillers with Fat Grafting Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) Invisalign Isolaz Juvéderm Juvéderm Volbella Juvéderm Voluma Kybella Lactic Acid Peels Laser Liposuction Lasers Lateral Tension Tummy Tuck Limited Incision Facelift Lip Enhancement Lip Enhancement with Fat Grafting Lip Implant Lip Lift Liposculpture Liposuction Liquid Facelift Long Pulsed N: Yag laser Lower Blepharoplasty Lower Body Lift Lower eyelid surgery Lower Facelift MACS Lift Mandelic Peels Microdermabrasion Microinjection Microneedling Microwave Laser Treatment Mini Tummy Tuck Mini-Facelift Mommy Makeover Nd: Yag Neck Liposuction Necklift Nonsurgical Facelift Nonsurgical Rhinoplasty Obagi Blue Peel Otoplasty Perlane Phenol Peels Photobiomodulation Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Photofacial PiQo4 Plasma Resurfacing Lasers Power Assisted Liposuction Prevelle Pulsed Dye Radiesse Radio Frequency with Microneedling Radio Frequency-Assisted Lipolysis Red Light Restylane Restylane Defyne Restylane Lyft Restylane Refyne Restylane Silk Revision Rhinoplasty Rhinoplasty Salicylic Peels SculpSure Sculptra Aesthetic Selphyl Silhouette Instalift Skin Skin Tighteners Skin Treatments Slim Lipo Smart Lipo SMAS facelift Smile Smile Makeover Smoothshapes Straightening Stretch Mark Treatments TCA Chemical Peels Teeth Whitening Thermage ThermiTight Thigh Lift Titan Tooth Contouring Traditional Facelift Tumescent Liposuction Tummy Tuck Ulthera Ultherapy Ultrasound Assisted Liposuction Umbilicoplasty Upper Blepharoplasty Upper eyelid surgery Vanquish ME VASER Lipo Vein Treatments Velashape Velasmooth Veneers Xeomin Search