Fulvic acid is a family of organic acids. The term “ fulvic acid” is understood by those of skill in the art, as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,874,277, 6,596,900, 6,478,946, and 5,204,368, the contents of the entirety of each of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference. Although fulvic acid has been studied extensively in the fields of geochemistry, agriculture, and environmental chemistry, it is still not widely known by scientists in the medical and nutritional fields. Fulvic acid is not one specific compound. Rather, it is a large family of related organic compounds. The term, fulvic acid, is similar to the terms amino acids or tannic acids. There are 20 different acids known as amino acids that share similar chemical structures, characteristics and biological functions. Tannic acids are polyphenols derived from plants. There are probably hundreds if not thousands of different compounds in the family of tannic acids. Fulvic acids are quite the same in principal. No one knows exactly how many compounds exist within this family of humus derived compounds. In a recent publication, one researcher isolated 4,000 distinct compounds in just one sample of Suwanee River fulvic acid. In addition, fulvic acids derived from aquatic sources are distinct from those isolated from coals or soils (Stevenson, 1994). There can be little doubt, that there are at least several thousand different compounds that are included in the family of fulvic acid.

Fulvic acids, as referred to herein, are the organic acids fraction that is soluble in water under all pH conditions and is in general lower in molecular size and weight and lower in color intensity than humic acids. Fulvic acids are yellow to orange in color when dissolved in water at concentrations of 50 to 500 milligrams per liter. Further, fulvic acids may be defined as the class of compounds which are purified by the standard methods promulgated by the International Humic Substances Society (IHSS) and as outlined in Examples 1 and 2 below.

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, the fulvic acid may be purified or substantially purified before incorporation into a composition for human use or before use in a method to promote hair growth. In certain embodiments, the fulvic acid may be that obtained via purification using XAD-8. In other embodiments of the present invention, the fulvic acid is isolated from an aquatic source. In further embodiments of the present invention, the fulvic acid is not isolated from peat, shilajit, or coal. Further, the fulvic acid may be fulvic acid other than oxifulvic acid.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a composition for human use containing fulvic acid is provided. The composition comprises at least 700 mg/L fulvic acid and preferably between 700 and 20,000 mg/L fulvic acid. Exemplary forms of these compositions include, but are not limited to, tablets, capsules, granules, supplements, foods, creams, ointments, emulsions, suspensions, liquids, drinks, beverages, sprays, inhalers, suppositories, drops, cosmetics, or other forms designed to deliver fulvic acid to a subject.

The composition for human use may be in the form of a cosmetic. Such cosmetics are exemplified by, but not limited to, lotions, milky lotions, creams, facial packs, ointments, tooth pastes, bathing agents, bath detergents, facial cleansing agents, hair lotions, hair-care compositions, or shampooing agents. Cosmetics of the present invention may be prepared in accordance with a conventional method, and those usually used in cosmetics such as hydrocarbons, waxes, fats and oils, esters, higher fatty acids, higher alcohols, surfactants, perfume, pigments, anticorrosive agents, antioxidants, ultraviolet absorbents, alcohols, pH adjustment agents, various ingredients with medicinal effect can be properly selected and formulated. In addition, such cosmetics may comprise a component having skin cosmeticizing action such as, but not limited to, retinoic acid, ?-hydroxy acid, retinol, glycerol, polyethylene glycol, potassium hydroxide, triethanolamine, and other saccharides. The cosmetic may further comprise a component having a hair restoring action including, but not limited to, minoxidil, calpronium chloride, heparin analogs, glyceryl monolinolate, linoleic acid, various crude drug extracts, and the like. The cosmetics of the present invention may be prepared by comprising, adding and/or diluting a composition containing fulvic acid so as to achieve a final concentration of at least 700 mg/L fulvic acid.