Why Use Fulvic Acid in Skin Care Products?
Fulvic acid has been demonstrated to be useful for a wide variety of skin related conditions:
Psoriasis, eczema, seborrheic keratosis, pruritis and actinic keratosis
Has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-viral properties
Has anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties
Stimulates healing
Useful in treatment of allergic diseases
Anti-mutagenic and anti-clastigenic effects, preventing genetic material from mutating – a key factor in skin cancer prevention
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid may enhance the healing of wounds infected with drug-resistant bacteria.
Title: Carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid is a highly promising topical agent to enhance healing of wounds infected with drug-resistant pathogens.
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: Carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) showed strong activity against a variety of bacterial and fungal pathogens with minimum inhibitory concentration values equal or less than 0.5%. Compared with infected but untreated wounds, improved wound healing upon CHD-FA treatment was observed in both infection models, demonstrated by wound surface area measurement, histopathologic examination, and expression profiling of wound healing genes. Up-regulation of proinflammatory cytokine interleukin 6 (IL-6) at Day 3 after infection was significantly dampened at Days 6 and 10 in the CHD-FA-treated wounds in both infection models, displaying an improved and accelerated wound healing. CHD-FA is a promising topical remedy for drug-resistant wound infections. It accelerated the healing process of wounds infected with methicillin-resistant S. aureus and multidrug-resistant P. aeruginosa in rats, which is linked to both its antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.
Link: https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1097/ta.0000000000000737
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid may accelerate wound healing.
Title: Investigation of Antioxidant and In Vitro Wound Healing Activity of Fulvic Acid
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: This study aimed to investigate the antioxidant and in vitro wound healing activities of fulvic acid (FA) purified from Hüsamlar leonardite in Muğla/Turkey. 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 50, 100 μg mL-1 concentrations of FA were tested for antioxidant activity (by using DPPH radical scavenging and H2O2 scavenging assays). Also, effect of FA on BJ human foreskin fibroblast and HaCaT spontaneously immortalized non-tumorigenic human keratinocyte cells proliferation was tested by in vitro MTT and WST-8 assays and on cell migration by wound healing assay (scratch assay). The results of the study show that the FA has a low DPPH radical scavenging activity, but it exhibited high H2O2 scavenging activity at low concentrations. The effect of FA on the proliferation of BJ and HaCaT cells varied according to the cell type, FA concentration and treatment time. However, it accelerated wound healing by increasing cell migration, especially in HaCaT cells. 1 and 10 μg mL-1 FA had a significant wound healing effect on BJ cells, and all concentrations of FA had a significant wound healing effect on HaCaT cells at the end of the 24 h treatments.
Link: https://dergipark.org.tr/en/pub/jist/issue/47916/509971
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Conclusion: Carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid may be effective in treating Staph infections.
Title: An investigation into the topical and systemic safety and efficacy of a new carbohydrate derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) product
Type of Document: Masters dissertation
Takeaway: CHD-FA has been shown to be safe and effective in treating Staphylococcus aureus infections in vitro.
Link: https://repository.up.ac.za/handle/2263/29191
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Conclusion: Fulvic acids help treat eczema, acne, and bacterial, fungal and viral infections.
Title: Fulvic acid and its use in the treatment of various conditions
Type of Document: Patent
Takeaway: Fulvic acid Salts, esters or derivatives thereof in pharmaceutical preparations are effective for treating inflammation, acne, eczema or bacterial or fungal or viral infections. These pharmaceutical preparations may be given either orally or topically in the form of a solution, paste, ointment, powder to humans or animals.
Link: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6569900B1/en
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid, applied topically, might be an effective and safe treatment for skin infections.
Title: An in vitro investigation of the antimicrobial activity of oxifulvic acid
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: It has been demonstrated that oxifulvic acid is effective in the topical treatment of pyrotraumatic dermatitis in cats and dogs and also inhibits contact hypersensitivity in mice. The antimicrobial properties, together with its anti-inflammatory properties, suggest that oxifulvic acid, applied topically, might be an effective and safe treatment for skin infections.
Link: https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1093/jac/46.5.853
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid may help in the treatment of eczema.
Randomized, parallel-group, double-blind, controlled study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbohydrate-derived fulvic acid in topical treatment of eczema
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of carbohydrate derived fulvic acid (CHD-FA) in the treatment of eczema in patients two years and older. CHD-FA was well tolerated, with no difference in reported side effects other than a short-lived burning sensation on application. CHD-FA significantly improved some aspects of eczema. Investigator assessment of global response to treatment with CHD-FA was significantly better than that with emollient therapy alone. The results of this small exploratory study suggest that CHD-FA warrants further investigation in the treatment of eczema.
Link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3173016/
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid may protect against ulcers.
Title: Anti-ulcerogenic activity of fulvic acids and 4′-methoxy-6-carbomethoxybiphenyl isolated from shilajit
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: Shilajit components fulvic acid (FA) and MCB significantly decreased the incidence of duodenal ulcer in the experimental model.
Link: https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1002/ptr.2650020408
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid has anti-inflammatory properties in topical applications.
Title: Pilot study to evaluate the safety and therapeutic efficacy of topical oxifulvic acid in atopic volunteer
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: Oxifulvic acid has established anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. Topically applied oxifulvic acid had no significant effect on any of the safety parameters and also did not induce sensitization when applied on the skin. Oxifulvic acid (4.5%) caused inhibition of the elicited inflammatory reaction at 15 min and differed significantly from the 9% cream at 24 h.
Link: https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1002/ddr.10116
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Conclusion: Humic acid may enhance wound healing.
Title: Natural Products and/or Isolated Compounds on Wound Healing
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: Overall, the results of this study showed that humic acid, which has previously been shown to have antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, enhances wound healing in the oral cavity. The humic acid treatment was even superior to chlorhexidine gluconate, which is widely used for the treatment of oral wounds. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to show that humic acid treatment can be used for the treatment of wounds in the oral cavity.
Link: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2018/1783513/
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid has anti-inflammatory properties and may help treat inflammatory skin conditions.
Title: Topical application of oxifulvic acid suppresses the cutaneous immune response in mice
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: The anti-inflammatory activity of topically applied coal-derived fulvic acids (called oxifulvic acid) at 4.5% and 9% was compared with that of diclofene sodium at 1% and betamethasone at 0.1% in a murine model of contact hypersensitivity. Oxifulvic acid at both concentrations compared favourably with both diclofene sodium and betamethasone in suppressing the cutaneous inflammatory response. Oxifulvic acid possesses anti inflammatory properties and may be of clinical benefit in the treatment of inflammatory skin conditions in humans.
Link: https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1002/ddr.1166
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Conclusion: Fulvic acid compositions administered orally or topically can help treat inflammation, microbial infections, acne and eczema.
Title: Fulvic acid and its use in the treatment of inflammation
Type of Document: Patent
Takeaway: A pharmaceutical composition comprising fulvic acid, salt, ester or derivative thereof as active agent is disclosed. The composition is preferably administered orally or topically for treating a condition in a human or animal. The condition may, for example, be inflammation, acne, eczema or bacterial or fungal or viral infections.
Link: https://patents.google.com/patent/EP1700600A1/en
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Conclusion: Compositions containing humic substances help treat various diseases and conditions, including wounds, inflammation, infection and allergies.
Title: Compositions and methods of treatment using peat derivatives
Type of Document: Patent
Takeaway: Novel compositions containing at least one biologically active component derived from peat or similar composition, methods for their preparation and therapeutic uses for a variety of diseases, injuries, and conditions, including wound healing, pain, itch, inflammation, abnormal cell proliferation, or infections caused by fungal, bacterial, rickettsial or viral agents, psoriasis, allergic and other dermatitis, pruritis, eczema, actinic keratosis and similar conditions. In addition, the compositions can be used as diuretics, antiarrhythmics, and cardiac-stimulating agents, as well as for the treatment of mammalian diseases and disorders, including multiple drug resistance, cancers, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, pain, wound healing, fungal disorders, and other inflammatory disorders. The compositions are derivable from peat or peat-related substances and may alternatively be synthetically produced.
Link: https://patents.google.com/patent/US6267962B1/en
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Conclusion: Fulvic and ulmic acids permeate through the skin and stimulate muscle activity.
Title: Fulvic acid and its use in the treatment of inflammation
Type of Document: Peer-reviewed journal article
Takeaway: HPLC analysis revealed that aqueous peat extracts contain up to 18 fractions of water-soluble compounds of fulvic and ulmic acids. These compounds have been found to have a stimulatory response on the contractile activity of SM tissue. In vitro diffusion studies showed that the permeability of these substances across human full thickness skin (thickness: 200 um(-1)) is highly selective and the resulting stimulatory activity is dependent on the permeated fraction. Especially, the HPLC fractions 7-11 and 14 are able to permeate human skin. Fractions 7-11 show a moderate stimulatory effect of SCA on SM for more than 90 min whereas fraction 14 shows the strongest stimulatory effect which was, however, suppressed after 87 min. These results show that the cutaneous therapy with peat treatment results in transcutaneaous permeation of biologically active fulvic and ulmic acid derivatives explaining the additional “chemical” effect of peat treatment in clinical practice.
Link: https://sci-hub.hkvisa.net/10.1016/s0378-5173(02)00706-8
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Conclusion: Shilajit compositions, containing fulvic acids, are useful in personal care, pharmaceutical and nutritional applications.
Title: Process for preparing purified shilajit composition from native shilajit
Type of Document: Patent
Takeaway: A purified shilajit composition is provided herein from native shilajit. The composition has an abundance of bioactive components, particularly, at least 0.3%, preferably 0.4-1%, by weight, oxygenated dibenzo-α-pyrones and at least 60%, preferably 65-70%, by weight of fulvic acids of low-to-medium molecular weight, and whose 2% aqueous solution has a pH of ≧7. Personal care, pharmaceutical and nutritional use formulations of the purified shilajit composition also are described.