P-ANISIC ACID

📋 Quick facts

Description: P-ANISIC ACID — preservative booster, fragrance ingredient.

All Functions: preservative booster, fragrance ingredient

Quick Facts:

• Category: preservative

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• P-anisic acid is a naturally occurring compound found in Australian acacia flowers
• It shows antimicrobial properties in laboratory studies
• When delivered through specially designed polymer systems, it can promote skin cell growth at moderate doses
• Research indicates good tolerance in human skin cell models with minimal irritation

⚗️ Chemical Overview

4-methoxybenzoic acid is a methoxybenzoic acid substituted with a methoxy group at position C-4. It has a role as a plant metabolite. It is functionally related to a benzoic acid. It is a conjugate acid of a 4-methoxybenzoate. p-anisic acid has been reported in Rhododendron dauricum, Aconitum forrestii, and other organisms with data available. Anisic acid is a metabolite found in or produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Source(s): LOTUS – the natural products occurrence database, Yeast Metabolome Database (YMDB), ChEBI, via PubChem

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

P-anisic acid is a phenolic compound with potential skincare applications that has attracted research interest in recent years. Here’s what the current research actually shows:

#1: Antimicrobial activity — A 2022 study in *Molecules* extracted p-anisic acid from acacia flowers and demonstrated that fractions containing this compound displayed antimicrobial properties, with the p-anisic acid-rich fraction showing better antimicrobial results than the crude plant extract. However, this was demonstrated in laboratory extraction and testing—not yet in real-world skincare applications. #2: Skin cell compatibility — A 2020 study in *Materials (Basel)* tested p-anisic acid when incorporated into specially designed polymer delivery systems on human skin cells (keratinocytes).

The polymers were well tolerated with no notable cell damage, and at moderate concentrations, actually promoted keratinocyte growth. At the highest test concentration (100 µg/mL), cell growth decreased somewhat, suggesting a dose-dependent response. #3: Controlled delivery potential — The 2020 *Materials (Basel)* research focused on developing polymer carriers that could slowly release p-anisic acid over time without sudden dumping (called “burst effect”). The polymer systems achieved steady, regular release of the compound, which the researchers suggest could be useful for cosmetic formulations. Important context: Both studies are early-stage research. The skin cell work used laboratory models, not human skin testing, and the antimicrobial findings are from extracted plant material, not finished skincare products.

No human clinical trials are described in these abstracts.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Martinka Maksymiak M et al. (2020). Bioactive (Co)oligoesters as Potential Delivery Systems of p-Anisic Acid for Cosmetic Purposes. Materials (Basel).
• da Silva GF et al. (2022). The Response Surface Optimization of Supercritical CO(2) Modified with Ethanol Extraction of p-Anisic Acid from Acacia mearnsii Flowers and Mathematical Modeling of the Mass Transfer. Molecules.

🧴 Products Containing P-ANISIC ACID

• BRYNILD GRUPPEN AS Nivea Day Care Naturally Good 50ml
• nivea natural balance tagespflege
• Nivea Natturally good anti-age
• Kneipp Intensivbalsam 10 urea
• Kneipp Sensitiv Handcreme Mandelöl
• Alverde Sensitiv After Shave Balsam
• alverde Mamaglück Körperbutter Wilde Malve
• Alverde Rough Nature Bartserum
• alverde Volumen-Kick Shampoo Bio-Kiwi Bio-Apfelminze
• babylove Reinigendes Waschgel
• Alverde Repair Shampoo
• alverde Naturkosmetik Skin Food Körperbutter
• Balea, Balea Med, dm Ultra Sensitive Waschlotion
• Alverde Cremegel Hydro
• Johnson’s Baby Crema liquida avena
• Léa Nature So’bio étic Précieux Argan- Sérum éclat anti-age
• Provence Santé crème légère anti âge
• Unifarmaco SpA Ceramol crema palpebrale
• Biafine lait apres soleil nourrissant
• Le Petit Marseillais Baume surgras Hypoallergénique Sève d’aloe vera
• bebe, bebe young care beruhigende bodylotion
• Dermolin Handcrème
• Mixa Solaire Brume Solaire Protection Renforcée Peau Sensible Spf50+
• Neutrogena Skin Balancing Milky Cleanser
• Johnson’s BedtIme Baby Lotion
• johnson and Johnson baby lotion
• Johnson’s Baby Lotion
• Johnson
• Aveeno Baby Eczema Therapy Nighttime Balm
• Dirk Rossmann GmbH, Isana Isana med akut Handcreme
• Le Petit Marseillais Lait Hydratant Hypoallergénique Sève d’Aloe Vera & Camomille
• L’Oréal, L’Oreal Luxe, The Body Shop Tea Tree skin clearing foaming cleanser
• Pure Harmony Cremegel Aqua mit Hyaluron
• Kur professional Repair & Shine Express Pflegespray
• Le petit marseillais Crème nutrition peau très sèche
• Le Petit Marseillais Lait hydratant réparation peaux abîmées, desséchées beurre de karité aloes & cire d’abeille
• Vichy deodorant vichy laboratoires 24h toucher sec
• Vichy Aqua Thermal – Baume Éveil Regard
• La Roche-Posay Déodorant physiologique 24h
• Beierdorf, Nivea Naturally good crema giorno idratante