Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract
Also known as Apple Fruit Extract, Malus Domestica Fruit Extract, Apple extract
“CIR Expert Panel says: safe as used in cosmetics.”
The CIR Expert Panel reviewed 26 apple-derived ingredients in the 2016 Final Report (republished in IJT 42(1S):36S-56S, 2023; PMID 36809230) and concluded that 21 of them — including Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract — are Safe Qualified (SQ) in cosmetic use when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing. Reported maximum use concentrations are up to 9% in leave-on products (apple fruit water) and 0.8% in rinse-off products (apple fruit extract). Five preparations (apple root extract, apple stem extract, apple callus culture extract, apple oil, and one other) had insufficient data and received an Insufficient (I) verdict. A 2000 double-blind clinical trial (PMID 11194183) of 1% topical procyanidin B-2 (an oligomeric apple polyphenol) applied to scalp for 6 months in 29 subjects reported no adverse side effects in either treatment or control groups. A 2020 randomized placebo-controlled trial (PMID 32294883, n=65 healthy women) of oral apple polyphenol supplementation demonstrated significant prevention of UV-induced facial pigmentation over 12 weeks with no reported adverse events.
CIR-assessed Safe Qualified (SQ) for cosmetic use in the 2016 Final Report (republished IJT 42(1S):36S-56S, 2023) — covers 21 apple-derived ingredients with reported use up to 9% leave-on (fruit water) and 0.8% rinse-off (fruit extract)
Polyphenol antioxidant content: flavan-3-ols (catechin, epicatechin), flavonols (quercetin and glycosides), procyanidin oligomers, and dihydrochalcones (phloridzin) — supports antioxidant cosmetic claims
Naturally contains malic acid (an alpha-hydroxy acid) at trace-to-modest levels in fruit extracts, contributing to mild keratolytic / skin-conditioning effects
Topical procyanidin B-2 (a major apple polyphenol) at 1% applied for 6 months in a 29-subject double-blind clinical trial showed measurable hair-growth effects with no adverse events reported
Plant: Pyrus malus L. / Malus domestica Borkh. (Rosaceae family, pome fruit); the fruit extract differs in safety verdict from root and stem extracts of the same species per the 2016 CIR assessment
CIR's SQ verdict requires formulation to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing — formulators must verify their finished product against irritation/sensitization endpoints, particularly given variable polyphenol content across extraction methods and apple cultivars
Pyrus Malus (Apple) Root Extract and Pyrus Malus (Apple) Stem Extract received Insufficient (I) verdicts in the same 2016 CIR assessment — the favorable Fruit Extract verdict does NOT extend to these other anatomical preparations
Apple polyphenols include quercetin, catechins, epicatechin, procyanidin B-2, and dihydrochalcones (phloridzin); skin penetration of these constituents is generally low (Quercetin specifically has poor solubility limiting dermal penetration), so topical bioactivity may be modest at typical use concentrations
Variable composition by cultivar, ripeness, peel-vs-flesh ratio, and extraction solvent (water, glycerin, propylene glycol, ethanol) — the CIR assessment covers the named INCI category but individual extract batches may differ substantially in polyphenol profile and any safety-relevant trace constituents
CIR Quick Reference Table (September 2022) — Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract row: Finding=SQ, Citation=Final Report 4/2016 Available fr…
“Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract | SQ | The CIR Expert Panel concluded that the following 21 apple-derived ingredients are safe in the present practices of use and concentration as described in this safety assessment, when formulated to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing...Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract... | Final Report 4/2016 Available from CIR”— QuickReferenceTable_AllConclusionTypes.pdf, Pyrus Malus (Apple) Fruit Extract section