Cited skincare — every flag names its source, no upsell.Fi
Fig Leaf Extract
Ficus Carica (Fig) Leaf Extract · Ficus Carica Leaf Extract · Ficus Carica (Fig) Extract · Ficus Carica Extract · Ficus Carica (Fig) Fruit/Leaf Extract · Ficus Carica Fruit/Leaf Extract · Ficus Carica Leaf Cell Extract · Ficus Carica Flower/Leaf/Stem Juice
Fig leaves and sap carry the same sun-reactive compounds as citrus peel, so it can burn skin that then sees sun.
What it does
The compounds are psoralens. Sun turns them on in the skin. That can bring redness, burning and blisters within a day or two, then dark marks that can last a year or two. Fig leaves or sap on skin plus sun have caused severe rashes. Keep a leave-on product with it for night, and off skin that will see sun.
The EU’s ingredient database lists it as a skin conditioner, its general term for an ingredient that keeps skin in good condition.European Commission, CosIng (© European Union, CC BY 4.0) · uses put in plain words by Drop ↗
The evidence, graded
expert consensusBergamot, lemon, lime, bitter orange and parsley contain furocoumarins (psoralens), and so do fig leaves and sap. On skin that then gets sun, these can cause a phototoxic reaction: redness, burning and blisters, then dark marks that can last a year or two. Scented products with such oils can leave dark streaks on the neck, called berloque dermatitis. Avoid them in leave-on products worn by day.Bowers 1999 · American Journal of Contact Dermatitis ↗ Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Browse all 710 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.