Botanical

• Botanical ingredient


  A constituent of a personal care or cosmetic product that originates from plants such as herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, leaves or seeds
• What 'botanicals' can include


  • Plant extracts
  • Expressed juices
  • Waxes
  • Vegetable oil
  • Lipids (fat-like molecule)
  • Tinctures
  • Plant carbohydrates
  • Essential oils
  • Purified plant components, such as antioxidants and vitamins
• Characteristic of botanical substances


  • The image of the products is positive since they are natural ingredients
  • In general, there is a public perception that botanical ingredients are safe and are environmentally friendly due to their biodegradability and renewability
  • Their effect is usually mild and sustained
  • When the ingredients are not used as single components, the subcomponents often help slightly soluble components to become easily soluble
• Primary metabolites


  Substances that are vital to preserve the organism, such as amino acids, sugars, and nucleic acids, and are chemical substances common in each organism in a taxonomic group
• Secondary metabolites


  Low-molecular compounds derived from primary metabolites and are not necessarily essential to an organism
• The botanical substances that have been used by humans are only a small fraction of these extremely diverse chemicals, and countless possibilities for use still remain
• Characteristics of botanical ingredients as cosmetic ingredients


  • The ingredient is a multicomponent system (main characteristic)
  • Specifically define the plant, the part of the plant, and the treatment (to assure stable supply of botanical ingredients)
  • Cultivated plants should be preferred over wild plants (to control the ingredients under fixed conditions)
  • Materials are setting in quality standards to control the quality
  • Show a variety of effects (due to their unique multicomponent systems)
• The objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) are: to preserve the diversity of organisms and their habitats on Earth, to use biological resources with sustainability, and to share the profits and benefits of the resources equally and fairly
• Expectations for botanical materials in cosmetics


  • Moisturization
  • Anti-inflammatory action
  • Tightening of the skin
  • Ultraviolet (UV) absorption
  • Antioxidative effects
  • Cell growth stimulation
  • Melanin inhibition to prevent senile pigment freckles
  • Metabolism stimulation
  • Circulation improvement and revitalization of the skin
  • Prevention of small wrinkles
• Licorice


  The root or stolon of plants in the Glycyrrhiza genus in the perennial herbaceous plant legume family, distributed from northeast China to mid-Asia and southern Europe, with saponin glycoside as its main substance
• Glycyrrhizic acid


  A triterpene glycoside, the main active substance in licorice, used in a considerable 70% of Chinese herbal medicine prescriptions
• Glycyrrhetic acid


  An aglycone of glycyrrhizic acid, showing antiinflammatory, antiallergy, and antibacterial actions
• Effects of licorice flavonoids


  • Antioxidative effects
  • Estrogen-like activities
  • Melanogenesis inhibition
  • Whitening effects
  • Antifungal action
  • Histamine H2 blocking
  • Anti-inflammatory action
• Glycyrrhiza extracts and their compounds have shown beneficial effects to improve skin pigmentation, including tyrosinase inhibitory activity for the treatment of skin pigmentation disorders
• Glycyrrhiza extracts and their compounds have shown anti-aging effects, including reducing ROS production, inhibiting MMP-2 activity, and increasing collagen production
• Herbal cosmetic formulations containing Glycyrrhiza extracts have shown skin lightening, anti-wrinkle, anti-aging, and sunscreen effects
• Glycyrrhiza root extracts and their constituents


  • Showed multipurpose effects such as whitening, antiwrinkle, anti-aging, and sunscreen
• Prevention of photoaging by Glycyrrhiza root extracts and their constituents


  1. Prenylflavonoids dehydroglyasperin C, dehydroglyasperin D, and isoangustone A showed a superoxide scavenger activity as a mechanism to prevent wrinkles

  2. Eicosanyl caffeate and docosyl caffeate from G. glabra roots displayed as a potent elastase inhibitory activity, an additional target to prevent aging and wrinkles formation
• Photoaging


  • Macroscopic and microscopic modification caused by persistent sun exposure
  • Most effectors involved are pro-inflammatory cytokines, ROS, and effector molecules like MMP-1. Their generation is controlled by NF-kappa B, produced due to UV exposition
• Glycyrrhizinic acid


  Effect on photoaging by blocking of MMP1 activation by modulating NF-kB signalling
• Dehydroglyasperin C


  • May work as a potential anti-photoaging agent by inhibiting UV-B- mediated MMPs expression via suppression of MAPK and AP-1 signalling
• Anti-oxidant activity


  Probably responsible for the observed anti-oxidant activity attributed to flavonoids, isoflavones, methylated isoflavones, and chalcones
• Licochalcones B and D


  • Showed a strong scavenging activity in the DPPH assay and the ability to inhibit microsomal lipid peroxidation. Effective in protecting biological systems against oxidative stress, being able to inhibit skin damage
• Hair tonic solutions containing G. glabra extract


  • Showed hair growth activity similar to that of the positive control (minoxidil), good physical and chemical stability, and safe topical use
• Oriental herbal supplement containing G. uralensis, Glycine max, and Thuja orientalis


  • Assessed on women's hair numbers, hair diameter, scalp moisture and sebum, and scalp conditions, finding a real benefit in improving hair and scalp conditions
• Silver nanoparticles containing G. glabra extract


  • Showed antimicrobial effects against dandruff caused by pathogens. Protein leakage analysis revealed that this formulation disturbed the solidity of pathogens' membrane
• Anti-acne activity


  • Connected with moisturizing action for several herbal extracts including G. glabra, but the most probable mechanism is the antimicrobial action against acne bacteria, although the anti-androgenic activity was proposed as a mechanism of action connected with the anti-acne final effect
• Licochocalcone A


  • Resulted in efficient suppression of the NLPR3 inflammasome
• Tea tree oil (Melaleuca alternifolia) and terpinen-4-ol


  • Found effective to inhibit human M14 melanoma cell growth
• Peppermint oil


  • Reported to show antivirus action and enhance skin permeability
• Citrus essential oils


  • Inhibit the action of reactive oxygen species and cell death caused by UV and nitrogen dioxide
• Rosemary oil and its main component, 1,8-cineol


  • Reported to have antibacterial action against bacteria such as Propionibacterium acnes
• Green and sustainable cosmetics


  Cosmetic products using natural ingredients produced from renewable raw materials
• Eco-friendly organic synthesis


  • Drastic reduction of organic solvents
  • Application of microwaves (MW) as an alternative energy source
  • Use of safe reagents
  • Application of in vitro cytotoxicity tests to assess the safety of the synthesized compounds
• Microwave-assisted organic synthesis


  Causes thermal effects and sometimes specific which lead to a general speeding up (acceleration) of several chemical reactions and selective transformations
• Green microwave extractions


  • Less solvent and energy use compared to conventional extraction methods
  • Innovative extraction techniques such as ultrasound-assisted extraction, supercritical fluid extraction, instant controlled pressure-drop process, accelerated solvent extraction and subcritical water extraction
• The demand for organic cosmetics and natural cosmetics from consumers has become stronger, and so has the concern for global environmental protection
• A global standard has been established for organic foods, and the foundation of this standard was proposed by an international nongovernmental organization, the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements
• The first natural cosmetics standard was set by Germany-based BDIH, founded by a task force of 19 German natural cosmetics manufacturers in 2001
• Following the establishment of BDIH, many certification authorities started their own certification, and in 2010 a certification authority named COSMOS was founded in the European Union (EU) and the COSMOS-Standard was established