The present study evaluates the antioxidant activity of the flavonol quercetin, and its functional stability as a raw material and when added in formulations. The iron-chelating activity was determined using the bathophenanthroline assay, and the functional stability was evaluated with the antilipoperoxidative assay. Raw material presented concentration-dependent antilipoperoxidative and iron-chelating activities. The initial antilipoperoxidative activity of the raw material, cream and gel-cream were 63%, 78%, and 69%, respectively. There was no detectable loss of activity during 182 days (6 months) of storage at all tested temperatures (4 degrees C, room temperature [RT], 37 degrees C, and 45 degrees C) for the raw material. Considering the method variability of 10%, activity loss greater than 10% for nonionic cream was detected after 126 days at 4 degrees C (20.1%), decreasing thereafter to 22.2% after 182 days. At 45 degrees C, the loss of activity started after 182 days (13.2%). For the anionic gel-cream, activity loss started after 84 days (28.4%, 45 degrees C), decreasing after 182 days to 40.3% at 45 degrees C. At 37 degrees C, activity loss was detected after 182 days (12%). In conclusion, the results suggest that the activity of quercetin depends on iron chelation, and its possible usefulness as a topical antioxidant to prevent oxidative stress-induced skin damage depends on maintaining its antilipoperoxidative activity stored at RT, which avoids special storage conditions.