What is it?
An extract of the fruit of the açaí palm, Euterpe oleracea, a tree native to the Amazon rainforest whose small round berries, each with a single seed, are commonly eaten in Brazil’s Amazon region. The fruit contains anthocyanins and other polyphenols, including chlorogenic acid, ferulic acid and catechin. In cosmetics the extract is used as a skin- and hair-conditioning ingredient in skin care, cleansers and hair products.
Key information
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded in 2020 that acai fruit extract is safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration.
- Acai fruit extract was reported in 469 cosmetic products, at up to 0.04 percent in leave-on products.
- A face product with 3 percent acai pulp powder caused no skin allergy in a patch test of 214 people.
- Supplier data showed only traces of heavy metals and no pesticides above EPA limits.
More information
One supplier described to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) an extract made by grinding açaí fruit, extracting it with water, filtering it and blending it with 2 percent Lactobacillus ferment. Supplier data showed arsenic, cadmium, mercury and lead each below 0.1 ppm in a powdered extract, and pesticides within limits set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. According to 2020 FDA data, the extract was used in 469 cosmetic products, most of them leave-on, at concentrations up to 0.04 percent in leave-on products.
In 2020 the CIR’s Expert Panel concluded that açaí fruit extract and seven related açaí and juçara palm ingredients are safe in cosmetics in the present practices of use and concentration; the report was published in the International Journal of Toxicology in 2024. A trade material that was 98 percent extract did not irritate reconstructed human skin or eye tissue and was predicted not to be a skin sensitizer in two non-animal tests. A face product with 3 percent açaí pulp powder, the highest leave-on use level reported, caused no allergy in a patch test of 214 people. The Panel noted that the available composition data showed no sensitizing constituents, and asked manufacturers to keep pesticide residues and heavy metals low.
On labels, look for Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Extract, sometimes with “(Acai)” added. Oil pressed from the fruit is a separate ingredient; see our Acai Pulp Oil profile.
Sources: CIR: Safety Assessment of Palm Tree (Açaí and Juçara)-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics (final report, 2020); CIR: Quick Reference Table of ingredient findings (December 2025)
