Why did I buy that? Ferulic acid - some recipe ideas

You might remember we took a look at ferulic acid, one of those ingredients we buy but never remember to use, but we didn't get around to making a lovely facial recipe with it. So let's take a look at a few products.

Ferulic acid is purported to be good for helping age spots, reducing wind and sun damage, moisturizing our skin, and behaving as an anti-oxidant. So it's a natural ingredient in toners or moisturizers, or even hand and body lotions. We use it at 0.5% to 1% in the heated water phase of our products, and it works synergistically with other anti-oxidants to offer more anti-oxidizing power from both.

I love toners (to read more about how much and why I love them, click here) and ferulic acid would be a great inclusion in a product of this nature. Since I don't use moisturizers - my skin is far too oily - I load my toner up with moisturizers, humectants, and other cosmeceuticals to make my skin feel awesome all day long! I'm going to modify my min-maxed toner to include some ferulic acid, but you could take any toner recipe you like, add 0.5% to 1% in the heated water phase, and have yourself an anti-oxidizing, moisturizing toner! (Click here for a min-maxed toner with cosmeceuticals!)

Click here for some information on modifying a toner for your skin type and the basics of making a toner. 


MIN-MAXED TONER WITH FERULIC ACID
HEATED PHASE
10.5% water
30% witch hazel
25% lavender hydrosol
10% aloe vera liquid
5% liquid green tea extract
2% sodium lactate
2% hydrolyzed protein
2% salicylic acid
0.5% allantoin
1% ferulic acid

COOL DOWN PHASE
3% Caprol Micro Express or another water soluble ester
5% Mutifruit BSC
2% panthenol
3% honeyquat
0.5% chamomile extract
0.5% preservative (I use Germall Plus)

Weigh the heated ingredients into a Pyrex jug and put into the double boiler. Let heat until it reaches 70˚C. Remove from the heat and allow to cool down to 45˚C to 50˚C, then add the cool down phase. Allow to cool down completely, then bottle.

You can put the powdered extracts into a little container, then add a little of the heated phase (when it reaches 45˚ to 50˚C) to it and mix well. Add to the cool down phase with the other ingredients.

Salicylic acid doesn't dissolve well in cold water, but does all right in heated water. If you have sensitive skin, consider removing this ingredient or the Multifruit BSC as the two ingredients together can be quite powerful. Try 1% Multifruit and 0.5% salicylic acid if you want to use the two together.

You don't have to make a complicated toner to make a nice toner. If you want to use something like witch hazel, aloe vera, water, and ferulic acid at 1%, go for it! I use all these ingredients because I don't use moisturizer on my very oily, rosacea prone skin and I'm trying to get all the goodness I'd get in a moisturizer in this product! If you plan to use a moisturizer after washing, then make a really basic toner (if you want one at all) and save the fancy ingredients for your moisturizer! 

If you want to use ferulic acid in a moisturizer, add it at 0.5% to 1% in the heated water phase and remove 0.5% to 1% water from the recipe. Here's a list of all the moisturizers you will find on the blog (and click "newer post" at the bottom of the page to see a few more!) Choose one and add your ferulic acid to one of them.

Remember, when we add any ingredient to our recipe, we generally take the percentage out of the water phase. In this case, when we add 1% ferulic acid to the recipe, we remove 1% water from the recipe to keep the final percentage at 100%. 

Join me tomorrow for more fun formulating with new ingredients!