Ferulic Acid (CAS 1135-24-6) — Spicy Heart Note Fragrance Ingredient
Ferulic Acid
CAS 1135-24-6
What Is Ferulic Acid?
Ferulic acid is a natural compound found in plant cell walls, especially in grains like rice and wheat, and also in coffee beans. You encounter it in whole grain foods, some skincare products, and as a subtle background note in fragrances. This ingredient matters because it acts as a natural antioxidant in both foods and cosmetics, and provides a warm, spicy-vanilla nuance to perfumes that bridges between sweet and woody accords.
Safety Profile
GENERALLY SAFEWhat Does Ferulic Acid Smell Like?
Ferulic acid offers a delicate interplay of warm spices and sun-baked vanilla pods, with a subtle phenolic edge reminiscent of clove stems. Its dry, powdery texture evolves into a soft woody-amber dry down, behaving like a quiet conductor that amplifies surrounding notes. In dilution, it reveals a hay-like sweetness akin to coumarin’s distant cousin, but with more vegetal depth – like vanilla infused with the sap of young oak trees.
Scent Profile
In Famous Fragrances
Fragrance associations may not reflect actual formulations.
Used as a bridge between spicy top notes and creamy sandalwood base, adding a wheat-like warmth that prevents the composition from becoming too sweet.
Ferulic acid’s grain-like facets enhance the fragrance’s distinctive ‘blond woods’ accord, contributing to its luminous, sunlit quality.
2D Molecular Structure
SMILES: COC1=C(O)C=CC(C=CC(O)=O)=C1
Chemistry, Properties & Perfumer Guide
The Chemistry
Ferulic acid is a hydroxycinnamic acid derivative, part of the phenylpropanoid class of plant metabolites. Naturally esterified to arabinoxylans in plant cell walls, it’s released during digestion or processing. Industrially produced via alkaline hydrolysis of agricultural byproducts or synthesized from vanillin. The trans-isomer (E-configuration) is more stable and prevalent than the cis-form. Its phenolic hydroxyl and carboxylic acid groups make it moderately polar (TPSA 66.8 Ų), while the conjugated π-system allows UV absorption – explaining its use in photoprotective cosmetics.
Physical & Chemical Properties
| Melting Point | 168-171 °C |
|---|---|
| Molecular Weight | 194.18 g/mol |
| XLogP | 1.5 |
| Vapor Pressure | 2.69×10⁻⁶ mmHg |
Perfumer Guide
| Application | Typical % | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine Fragrance | 0.1-0.5% | Up to 1% | Background modifier |
| Functional Fragrance | 0.01-0.1% | Up to 0.3% | Antioxidant side-benefit |
Classic Accords
Tip: Use to add dryness to overly sweet vanillic compositions – blends particularly well with ionones.
Alternatives & Comparisons
Less methoxy character, more direct honey-like sweetness when higher concentrations are needed.
Hydrogenated version with softer, more powdery character and reduced phenolic sharpness.
Safety, Regulatory & Sustainability
⚠ Regulatory Disclaimer
General reference only. IFRA, REACH, EU Cosmetics Regulation standards update periodically. Consult current IFRA Standards Library before formulating. Not legal or regulatory advice.
IFRA Status
No IFRA restrictions – not classified as sensitizing in current guidelines.
RIFM Assessment
RIFM-reviewed and deemed safe at current usage levels in fragrances (2015 assessment).
Sustainability
Primarily sourced as a byproduct of rice bran oil production or from wheat bran, making its extraction relatively sustainable. Synthetic production exists but is less common due to availability of plant-derived material. As an antioxidant, it can reduce need for synthetic preservatives in formulations.
Explore Ferulic Acid
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References
- PubChem CID 445858 Ferulic Acid
- Graf E. (1992). Antioxidant potential of ferulic acid. Free Radical Biology and Medicine. PMID 1334049
Data: PubChem (NIH), PubMed, RIFM, IFRA. Last reviewed: Mar 2026.
Report a data errorIngredient Data Sheet
CAS 1135-24-6Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 194.18 g/mol🔬 PubChem |
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 1.5🔬 PubChem |
| Boiling Point | 279 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg @ 25°C📊 OPERA |
| Flash Point | 150.5 °C🔬 EPA CompTox |
| log Kp (skin permeability) | -2.819💻 Calculated |
| SMILES | COC1=C(C=CC(=C1)C=CC(=O)O)O🔬 PubChem |
Volatility & Performance
| Fragrance Note | Base💻 Calculated |
| Volatility Class | Very slow💻 Calculated |
| Persistence Score | 8.3 / 5💻 Calculated |
Odor & Flavor
| Primary Descriptors | spicyvanilla• leffingwell |
| Functional Groups | phenoletheralkenearomatic💻 RDKit |
Physical data: PubChem (NIH/NLM), U.S. EPA CompTox Dashboard, EPA OPERA models, RDKit. Odor & flavor: Arctander (Perfume & Flavor Chemicals), Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients, Leffingwell. Thresholds: van Gemert (Compilations of Odour Threshold Values). Regulatory: IFRA Standards 51st, FEMA GRAS. Trade names: Surburg (Common Fragrance & Flavor Materials). All data compiled and cross-referenced for perfumertools.com.
Physicochemical Properties
DTXSID: DTXSID5040673
Physical Properties
| Molecular Weight | 194.186 g/mol🔬 EPA CompTox |
| Density | 1.331 g/cm^3📊 OPERA |
| Boiling Point | 327.033 °C📊 OPERA |
| Melting Point | 169.5 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Flash Point | 150.55 °C🔬 EPA CTX |
| Refractive Index | 1.627 Dimensionless📊 OPERA |
| Molar Volume | 147.467 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
Partition & Solubility
| LogP (Octanol-Water) | 1.51 Log10 unitless🔬 EPA CTX |
| LogD (pH 5.5) | 0.201 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogD (pH 7.4) | -1.621 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| LogKoa (Octanol-Air) | 8.07 Log10 unitless📊 OPERA |
| Water Solubility | 0.007 mol/L📊 OPERA |
| Henry's Law Constant | 0 atm-m3/mole📊 OPERA |
Transport Properties
| Vapor Pressure | 0 mmHg🔬 EPA CTX |
| Viscosity | 10.992 cP📊 OPERA |
| Surface Tension | 48.797 dyn/cm📊 OPERA |
Molecular Descriptors
| Topological Polar Surface Area | 66.76 Ų💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Donors | 2 count💻 Computed |
| H-Bond Acceptors | 3 count💻 Computed |
| Rotatable Bonds | 3 count💻 Computed |
| Aromatic Rings | 1 count💻 Computed |
| Molar Refractivity | 52.267 cm^3/mol📊 OPERA |
| Polarizability | 20.72 Å^3📊 OPERA |
Data Sources:
🔬 EPA Experimental data from U.S. EPA CompTox Chemicals Dashboard & CTX APIs. 📊 OPERA Predicted using EPA's OPERA QSAR models. 💻 Computed Calculated from SMILES using RDKit.
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