What is it?
An extract of apple fruit, listed on labels under the older botanical name Pyrus malus. It contains natural sugars, organic acids and plant polyphenols such as chlorogenic acid and quercetin compounds, and it is used as a skin-conditioning ingredient in skin care, hair care and other personal care products. It is made by extracting ground apples with water, glycerin or a glycol.
Key information
- The CIR Expert Panel concluded in 2016 that apple fruit extract is safe as used when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
- Reported use levels are low, up to 1 percent in leave-on products.
- Commercial apple extracts are often supplied in a carrier such as glycerin, butylene glycol or propylene glycol.
- Pyrus malus is an older scientific name for apple.
More information
Apples contain polyphenols including quercetin, catechin, phloridzin and chlorogenic acid, and the peel has two to six times more phenolic compounds than the flesh, depending on the variety. For cosmetics, ground fruit is extracted with water, glycerin, butylene glycol or propylene glycol and filtered. Trade materials described to the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) contained 10 to 25 percent apple extract in such a carrier, sometimes with added preservatives.
In 2016 the CIR Expert Panel reviewed 26 apple-derived ingredients and concluded that 21, including Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract, are safe in the present practices of use and concentration when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. Apple fruit extract was reported in 155 products, at up to 1 percent in leave-on and 0.75 percent in rinse-off products. A 20 percent solution was slightly irritating to rabbit skin and showed slight sensitization potential in guinea pigs, but tests of trade materials on lab-grown human skin and eye tissue models were negative.
The Panel noted that phloridzin, found in apples, stimulated pigment production in cell studies, but said an effect on skin pigmentation would not be expected at the concentrations used in cosmetics. It also asked manufacturers to use good manufacturing practices to limit pesticide residues, heavy metals and aflatoxins in botanical ingredients.
On labels, apple extract may appear as Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract or Malus Domestica (Apple) Fruit Extract; the CIR Panel found both safe. Because the extract usually comes in a carrier, check the rest of the ingredient list too: propylene glycol and butylene glycol, both rated Red Light by the Foundation, are among the solvents used, while vegetable glycerin is rated Green Light.
Sources: CIR: Safety Assessment of Apple-derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics (2016); Nutrition Journal (2004): Apple phytochemicals and their health benefits
