Antioxidants — they sound like something you’d want to incorporate into your skin care routine, but there are always plenty of questions that come along with using them, too. You might be asking what purpose antioxidants serve, or the difference between the various vitamins and compounds such as botanical ferulic acid or niacinamide.  

If you’re looking for a powerful antioxidant to slow down signs of extrinsic aging, thanks to its potent protective properties, botanical ferulic acid is a highly recommended ingredient. 

What is Botanical Ferulic Acid?

A popular buzzword in the world of skin care, antioxidants are touted as having benefits for the overall health of your skin, and for good reason! Another word to consider is “free radicals,” which essentially harm the body’s cells and accelerate the rate of aging through a process known as oxidation. Environmental pollution and exposure to ultraviolet or infrared rays are two of the most prominent ways free radicals attack healthy cells and — like the superheroes they are — that’s where antioxidants step in. So, what is botanical ferulic acid, exactly? Naturally derived, this potent ingredient is typically found in a variety of plant leaves and fruits, namely apples and oranges as well as oats and brown rice.

Antioxidants act as protectors, fighting off free radicals and providing a range of skin-nourishing benefits that counteract the damage done by free radicals over any length of time. One antioxidant in particular — botanical ferulic acid — is powerful in doing just that. Ranging from neutralizing free radicals to decreasing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, botanical ferulic acid is an effective ingredient that, when used consistently and in combination with other antioxidants, has a powerful impact on the overall appearance, health and texture of your skin.

What Are the Benefits of Botanical Ferulic Acid for Your Skin?

Why are antioxidants like botanical ferulic acid so beneficial for skin? On a daily basis, skin is subjected to a number of age-accelerating free radicals. Constant exposure to everyday external factors like ultraviolet rays or environmental pollution exacerbate the breakdown of healthy skin cells, leading to common signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and sagging.

Botanical ferulic acid works as a protective antioxidant, shielding skin from harmful free radicals and sun damage. When it comes to using antioxidants (or any potent ingredient, really), it’s best to implement them into a skin care routine as soon as possible for the most long-term benefits and protection against accelerated signs of aging. In the case of botanical ferulic acid, it won’t necessarily repair existing damage caused by free radicals — instead, it works best as a shield against the formation of free radicals down the line. It’s never too late to start a skin care routine using antioxidants!

Protecting Skin Against Oxidative Damage 

Botanical ferulic acid in particular shields against environmental pollution and ultraviolet rays, actively reducing the development of visible signs of aging such as fine lines and wrinkles. Benefits of adding botanical ferulic acid into a skin care routine includes:

Keeping Skin Supple & Firm 

Free radicals are responsible for many signs of aging and oxidative damage — loss of suppleness in the skin being one of them! As a powerful antioxidant shield, botanical ferulic acid blocks free radicals from causing a loss of collagen and elastin, which eventually leads to sagging skin.

Reducing Breakouts & Inflammation 

Over time, oxidative stress takes a toll on the health and vibrancy of skin — leading to inflammation, which then causes blocked pores and breakouts. One way to bring balance back to the skin and reduce inflammation is to incorporate botanical ferulic acid into a skin care routine.

Minimizing Sun Damage & Dark Spots

Through constant, unprotected exposure to ultraviolet rays and environmental pollution, free radicals cause a lot of damage to the health of your skin! Over time, that damage becomes visible in the form of dark spots, hyperpigmentation and melasma. Since botanical ferulic acid acts as a protector against free radicals, applying it to the skin helps reduce the changes in pigmentation development that lead to dark spots.

Decreasing Redness & Uneven Skin Tone

When skin is subjected to sun exposure and pollution, it causes blood vessels to become more prominent under the skin – this leads to uneven skin tone and redness in areas like the cheeks and nose. Botanical ferulic acid helps protect against culprits that exacerbate the formation of blood vessels.

You can watch this In The Mix video with our Lead Skin Care Trainer Natalie Pergar to learn more about the types of antioxidants found in superfoods.   .

What Works Well with Botanical Ferulic Acid?

Botanical ferulic acid also works with other antioxidants to bring enhanced benefits to protecting the skin against accelerated signs of aging caused by free radicals. Two other popular antioxidants for skin — Vitamins C and E — both work to protect the skin’s outer and inner layers from damaging ultraviolet rays and oxidative stress that break down collagen production and lead to dry, wrinkled and inflamed skin.

Can you use botanical ferulic acid by itself? You could, but it would only offer your skin partial protection against free radicals. Research from the Journal of Investigative Dermatology showed that when combined with Vitamins C and E, photoprotection of skin doubled. “Ferulic acid alone (and Vitamins C and E) provides partial protection but Vitamins C, E and ferulic acid [altogether] provide virtually complete protection.”

Here’s what you’ll want to pair with botanical ferulic acid to gain the most benefit for your skin:

Vitamins C + E

Vitamins C and E offer their own range of skin-nourishing benefits, but when used in combination with botanical ferulic acid, protection against free radicals is enhanced! Botanical ferulic acid also significantly increases the efficacy and activity of Vitamin C (and Vitamin E), allowing antioxidants to work even better to obtain desired results.

Eminence Organic Skin Care Lead Skin Care Trainer Natalie Pergar shares just how beneficial it is to use botanical ferulic acid alongside other skin-protecting antioxidants: “Look out for Vitamin C products that also contain Vitamin E and botanical ferulic acid for maximum results. Combined, these ingredients provide additional protection against free radicals to further reduce damage so that skin stays healthy, smooth and luminous.”

Niacinamide

Another powerful property that enhances the health of skin is niacinamide, also known as Vitamin B-3. This vitamin works to lock in hydration and boost cell-building proteins in the skin, which help combat oxidative damage caused by free radicals.

Some of the ways in which niacinamide benefits skin health includes minimizing redness and uneven skin tone, strengthening the lipid barrier (which helps cells retain moisture), shrinking pore size and regulating oil production — both of which help reduce breakouts — and finally, protecting skin against sun damage and oxidative stress.

Combining niacinamide and botanical ferulic acid offers its own set of powerful benefits, such as brightening the appearance of the skin and evening out the skin’s texture.

How to Use Botanical Ferulic Acid

Since the purpose behind using potent antioxidants like botanical ferulic acid is to target the visible signs of aging, incorporating a serum into a morning routine is recommended. That way the serum has a chance to shield skin from daily environmental pollutants the moment you step outside.

You can also incorporate botanical ferulic acid into your night time skin care routine. Press a serum containing this ingredient gently into the skin after cleansing and before applying thicker moisturizer to lock in nourishing properties. Applying it at night also enhances botanical ferulic acid skin benefits because it has an opportunity to penetrate into the skin overnight so your morning skin care application is even more effective.  

Infusing the skin with protective, antioxidant-rich products is important to minimize fine lines, wrinkles and dark spots. The fast-absorbing Citrus & Kale Potent C + E Serum combines botanical ferulic acid with other powerful antioxidants like Vitamins C and E  to boost the appearance of hydration and elasticity. Our Citrus & Kale Potent C + E Masque also contains a powerful combination of botanical ferulic acid with vitamins and natural extracts. This makes it a perfect serum for minimizing the visible signs of sun exposure through added hydration. 

Learn more from an Eminence Organics Spa Partner and find out about the availability of professional skin care consultations, product recommendations and treatments.

This post was originally published in May 2020 and has been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.