Strawberry

What Is Strawberry in Skincare?

Strawberry in skincare usually means an extract of the garden strawberry fruit (Fragaria ananassa), a water-soluble ingredient carrying the berry's antioxidants: vitamin C, red anthocyanin pigments, and ellagic acid. It is used for skin that looks brighter, fresher, and more even, and as an antioxidant in serums, toners, masks, and cleansers.

EWG Skin Deep score for Strawberry EWG Skin Deep rating for Strawberry

Strawberry also shows up on labels as strawberry fruit water, strawberry seed oil, and wild strawberry (Fragaria vesca) extracts. Each is a different ingredient with different chemistry, so read the INCI name, not just the word "strawberry."

Strawberry Quick Facts

Property Details
INCI names Fragaria Ananassa (Strawberry) Fruit Extract; also Fragaria Ananassa Fruit Water, Fragaria Ananassa Seed Oil, Fragaria Vesca (wild strawberry) Fruit or Leaf Extract
Common names Strawberry extract, garden strawberry, wild strawberry
Source Fruit of the strawberry plant (rose family)
Form Liquid extract (water, glycerin, or glycol base) or dried powder; seed oil is a separate oil
Solubility Fruit extract and fruit water: water soluble. Seed oil: oil soluble.
Key compounds Vitamin C (58.8 mg per 100 g of raw fruit, USDA), anthocyanins, ellagic acid, other phenolics
Typical usage rate No published supplier maximum was found; use the rate on your supplier's data sheet
pH Strawberry fruit is acidic; finished products should be adjusted to the pH your preservative needs
Skin types Normal, combination, oily, and dull-looking skin; sensitive skin with a patch test

How Strawberry Works on the Skin

An antioxidant fruit

Strawberries are a rich food source of vitamin C. USDA FoodData Central lists 58.8 mg of vitamin C per 100 g of raw strawberries. A 2014 study by Yildiz and colleagues that compared wild and cultivated strawberries measured 138 to 228 mg of total phenolics and 15.18 to 26.36 mg of ellagic acid per 100 g of fresh fruit across the strawberries tested. These are food measurements. How much of each compound survives in a cosmetic extract depends on the supplier's process, so ask for the extract's data sheet.

What lab studies have measured

Two lab studies from the same research group looked at strawberry and UVA light. In a 2012 study, Giampieri and colleagues added a strawberry extract to human dermal fibroblasts (skin cells) before UVA exposure. In that study, the cells given strawberry had higher survival and less DNA damage than cells without it.

In a 2017 follow-up, Gasparrini and colleagues tested a cosmetic formulation combining strawberry (50 µg/mL) with coenzyme Q10 (100 µg/mL) on fibroblasts exposed to UVA. The combination reduced cell death and levels of reactive oxygen species, the unstable molecules linked to the look of sun-aged skin. Both were cell culture studies, not tests on people.

What strawberry does not do

Strawberry is not a sunscreen, even though these studies looked at UVA. Keep using a tested broad-spectrum SPF. You will also read that strawberries contain salicylic acid. No verified measurement of salicylic acid in strawberries was found, so we do not make that claim. For measured exfoliation, choose a product that lists its acid and percentage.

How to Use Strawberry

  • In formulas: Add water-soluble strawberry extract to the water phase or the cool-down phase (below 40°C) to protect its vitamin C and anthocyanins from heat.
  • Pair with: Other antioxidants such as vitamin E and stable vitamin C forms, plus hyaluronic acid or glycerin for hydration.
  • Preservation: Fruit extracts contain natural sugars, so a broad-spectrum preservative is essential in any water-based product.
  • Fresh fruit: Mashed strawberries have no preservative and no measured strength. If you make a fresh mask, make one portion, use it right away, keep it off the eye area, rinse after 10 minutes, and throw out any leftovers.
  • Storage: Keep extracts tightly closed, cool, and away from light, and follow the supplier's shelf life.

Who Strawberry Suits

Strawberry extract suits normal, combination, oily, and dull-looking skin that wants a fresh, brighter look and antioxidant support. It is a gentle supporting ingredient rather than a strong active, which makes it easy to fit into most routines.

Strawberry is also a traditional addition to cleansers and toners for oily, congested skin. In those formulas the cleansing and exfoliating ingredients do the heavy lifting, and strawberry adds antioxidants for skin that looks fresher and clearer. For clearer-looking skin, choose a product that states its exfoliating acid and percentage rather than relying on the fruit alone.

If you are allergic to strawberries, do not use strawberry ingredients on your skin.

Sensitive skin: patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours and start at the lowest rate in your supplier's range. Fresh fruit is acidic and can sting, so a finished, pH-adjusted product is the gentler choice.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are strawberries good for your skin?

Strawberry extract can be a useful antioxidant ingredient for skin that looks brighter and fresher. Strawberries are rich in vitamin C, anthocyanins, and ellagic acid. The research on strawberry and skin so far is on skin cells in the lab, not on people.

Can I put fresh strawberries on my face?

You can, but a fresh fruit mask has no preservative, no measured strength, and an acidic pH that can sting. Make one portion, use it right away, rinse after 10 minutes, and patch test first. Skip it entirely if you are allergic to strawberries.

Do strawberries contain salicylic acid?

This claim is widely repeated, but no verified measurement of salicylic acid in strawberries was found. For exfoliation you can count on, use a product that states its acid and percentage.

Does strawberry extract brighten skin?

Strawberry extract is used for skin that looks brighter because it carries vitamin C and other antioxidants. How much vitamin C remains in a cosmetic extract varies by supplier, so for a measured dose of vitamin C, a dedicated vitamin C serum is more reliable.

Can strawberry extract replace sunscreen?

No. Lab studies found strawberry extract helped skin cells cope with UVA, but it has not been tested as a sunscreen on people. Always use a tested broad-spectrum SPF.

Is strawberry extract safe for sensitive skin?

Anyone with a strawberry allergy should avoid strawberry ingredients. Patch test on the inner arm for 24 hours and start at the lowest rate before regular use.

Shop Related Ingredients

Skin Perfection does not currently sell strawberry extract. For a measured dose of vitamin C, see our Vitamin C Serum with Hyaluronic Acid, made with 3-glyceryl ascorbate and ferulic acid. Learn more in our vitamin C, raspberry, and antioxidants glossary entries, or read about a berry oil in our raspberry seed oil guide.

Sources

  • Giampieri F, Alvarez-Suarez JM, Tulipani S, et al. Photoprotective potential of strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa) extract against UV-A irradiation damage on human fibroblasts. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2012;60(9):2322-2327. doi:10.1021/jf205065x (laboratory cell study)
  • Gasparrini M, Forbes-Hernandez TY, Afrin S, et al. Strawberry-Based Cosmetic Formulations Protect Human Dermal Fibroblasts against UVA-Induced Damage. Nutrients. 2017;9:605. doi:10.3390/nu9060605 (laboratory cell study)
  • Yildiz H, Ercisli S, Hegedus A, Akbulut M, Topdas EF, Aliman J. Bioactive content and antioxidant characteristics of wild (Fragaria vesca L.) and cultivated strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) fruits from Turkey. Journal of Applied Botany and Food Quality. 2014;87. doi:10.5073/jabfq.2014.087.038 (food analysis)
  • U.S. Department of Agriculture, FoodData Central, Strawberries, raw (FDC ID 167762): vitamin C 58.8 mg per 100 g

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

About the Author
Written by Kari Thomas, cosmetic formulator and founder of Skin Perfection.