What is Levulinic Acid?
Levulinic acid is a renewable, bio-based acid, usually from corn, which helps to condition and soften skin, as well as act as a preservative of the product itself.
What is Sodium Levulinate?
Sodium levulinate is the salt of levulinic acid, often used as a preservative in place of benzoic or sorbic acids.
Where does levulinic acid come from and how is it made?
It is derived from the oxidation of simple sugars (glucose or fructose), most commonly from corn derived cellulose.
What will levulinic acid do for your skin?
Levulinic Acid conditions and softens skin. It acts as a mild preservative with good antibacterial properties without altering the structure and pH of other ingredients in the product. Sodium levulinate is most often used as a preservative, although this is more common in food products than cosmetics.
INCI Name
Levulinic Acid
Allergens
Cellulose
Shop natural skincare products made with levulinic acid & sodium levulinate
Sources
Winter, Ruth. A Consumer's Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients, 7th Edition. Potter/Ten Speed/Harmony/Rodale.
https://www.truthinaging.com/ingredients/sodium-levulinate
https://www.aimspress.com/article/10.3934/energy.2019.2.165
https://www.freshlycosmetics.com/en/glossary-of-ingredients/levulinic-acid
https://www.paulaschoice.com/ingredient-dictionary/skin-softening/sodium-levulinate.html
Whilst we hope the pages are informative it’s important to remember we’re organic beauty enthusiasts not scientists so the information is detailed here to the best of our knowledge or research we have conducted from third parties. Whilst we are continually updating our content based on new research, it may not always be up to date and as such it is the readers’ responsibility to conduct their own research in order to independently verify the information and make an informed decision on their beauty regime/lifestyle. Any opinion expressed on the efficacy of a product is based on tests performed by our team. As everyone has different skin types and concerns, please be advised that what works for them might not work for you but we try to give as much subjective information as possible which we hope you will find useful. If in any doubt, please consult a medical professional.