Botanical Ingredients
What Is It?
A Botanical Ingredient is a component of a cosmetic or personal care product that originates from plants (herbs, roots, flowers, fruits, leaves or seeds). Specific ingredients derived from biological sources are classified based on their chemical structure and how they are isolated from plants.
Why Is It Used?
Plant-derived (Botanical) Ingredients were among the very first cosmetics. Natural colorants, plant juices for soothing and protection from insect pests, and fragrant oils for imparting scent were all used in ancient times. Historically, plants were the only way to produce products for cleaning, moisturizing, covering up blemishes and even treating minor skin conditions.
Scientific Facts
It is probably safe to say that plant derived ingredients were among the very first cosmetics. Natural colorants, plant juices for soothing and protection from insect pests, and fragrant oils for imparting odor were all known and used in ancient times. The actual composition of a botanical ingredient can depend on a number of variables. For example, a Botanical Ingredient can be prepared by the extraction of the plant using a suitable solventSubstances, usually liquids, that are used to dissolve other substances.. Depending on the desired ingredient, different parts of the plant might be processed for use in cosmetic and personal care products. This might include the flowers, seeds, roots, leaves or other plant part. Some ingredients are obtained directly without extraction. The plant part might be dried and/or ground into a powder. In other cases the plant might be squeezed or pressed to obtained the juiceThe liquid obtained by expressing various plants or plant parts, usually fruits. or oil. In all cases, the manufacturing process is carefully controlled to ensure quality and a predictable composition. Although there has always been a continuing interest in the use of ingredients derived from plants in cosmetics, beginning in the 1990s, that interest exploded, with new discoveries of benefits, greater standardization and control of raw material specifications, and new formulation techniques.
That explosion of new botanical ingredients being introduced to the market led to the need to re-examine the industry’s rules for identifying the ingredients on consumer products. The earliest rules for identifying botanical ingredients (ingredients derived from plants with little processing, such as simple extracts, oil, etc.) for cosmetic labeling purposes were developed in the United States. With few ingredients initially, it made sense to simply call them by their common name, for example: apple, orange, etc. As more and more distinct ingredients entered the market, however, and as it was recognized that many of the common names could be representative of different compositions from differing species of plant, it became apparent that new rules for assigning names would be required. At the same time, countries around the world were expressing interest in requiring cosmetic ingredient labeling for their products, and were considering using the U. S. nomenclature as a base, but expressed concern that common American names for plants would not be understood by their citizens. The current approach uses that Latin Genus and species names as the base for botanical derived ingredient nomenclature. With this approach, much more specificity can be given to the botanical source of the ingredient, and, they would be easily recognized by the entire scientific and medical community.
Safety Information
In considering the safety of Botanical Ingredients used in cosmetics and personal care products, it is important to consider the specific botanical material, the amount of the botanical in the raw material and finished product and the route of exposure. Most applications of Botanical Ingredients in cosmetics are topical; they are applied externally to the skin. In selecting Botanical Ingredients for preparation of cosmetic products, formulators take into account the extensive history of their preparation and use. Plant materials have been used for decades or even centuries and, based upon the human experience with these botanical ingredients, knowledge of their safety has been gained. Manufacturers of cosmetic and personal care products are required by law to substantiate the safety of their products, including products containing Botanical Ingredients. There are many different references that describe the isolation, use and safety of botanical preparations.
The safety of cosmetic ingredients, including Botanical Ingredients, is assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR). The CIR is an independent program sponsored by the cosmetic and personal care industry. The CIR has considered the safety of many of the Botanical Ingredients that are used in cosmetics and personal care products. In considering the safety of Botanical Ingredients, the CIR Expert Panel considers all of the scientific data that is available, including data that is published in the peer-reviewed literature as well as information provided from other sources, and determines whether or not this information can allow a safety assessment. If additional information is necessary, the CIR will issue a public announcement identifying the additional information that is needed to complete their safety assessment. When all of the information is available, the CIR Expert Panel will then carefully review the data and issue a conclusion to the public. The conclusion can say that the ingredient is (1) safe as used, (2) safe with limitations on usage, (3) unsafe and (4) insufficient information to determine safety. The CIR conclusions provide important guidance for safe formulation of cosmetics and personal care products.
Find out about the CIR Program
FDA Guidance for Industry – Botanical Drug Products
You can find out about specific Botanical Ingredients by using the ingredient search feature of this website.
The safety of a botanical depends on many things, such as its chemical makeup, how it is prepared and the manner in which it is used. Most cosmetic products are applied topically so the safety must take into account the route of exposure. The form of a botanical preparation also play important roles in its safety. For example, tinctures and extracts have different strengths. The same amount of a botanical may be contained in a a few teaspoons of tincture or an even smaller quantity of an extractThe mixture of substances drawn out of a material by solution, heat, or another physical or chemical process.. Also, different preparations vary in the relative amounts and concentrations of material removed from the whole botanical. For example, peppermint extract is very different from peppermint oil which is much more concentrated. It is the responsibility of the manufacturer to ensure that the ingredient is used appropraitely and in a safe manner.
Resources
Find out more about the history of using plants to obtain beneficial materials:
“Duke University: Brief History of Beauty and Hygiene Products”
National Library of Medicine: Beauty and the body: the origins of cosmetics
NIH: Office of Dietary Supplements: Botanical Dietary Supplements:
FDA: Botanical Review Team: What is a Botanical Drug?
FDA: Guidance for Industry Botanical Drug Products
FDA: Dietary Supplement Overview:
National Academies of Science: Proposed Framework for Evaluating the Safety of Dietary Supplements — For Comment (2002)
American Herbal Products Association
FDA: Incorporation by Reference for the Labeling of Foods and Dietary Supplement
References:
- Encyclopedia of Common Natural Ingredients Used in Food, Drugs, and Cosmetics, 2nd Ed., 1996, John Wiley and Sons, ISBN 0-471-50826-8.
- Bibliography: Anton, Robert, Franco Patri, and Vittorio Silano (consultants).
- Plants in Cosmetics Volume II. Strasbourg Cedex: Council of Europe Publishing, 2001. Arvigo, Rosita and Michael Balick.
- Rainforest Remedies:ne Hundred Healing Herbs of Belize. Second Edition. Twin Lakes, WI : Lotus Press, 1998. Bisset, Norman Grainger (Ed.).
- Herbal Drugs and Phytopharmaceuticals. (Translated from the Second German Edition. Boca Raton : CRC Press, 1994. Blumenthal, Mark (Ed.).
- The Complete German Commission E Monographs: Therapeutic Guide to Herbal Medicines. Austin, TX: American Botanical Council, 1998.D’Amelio, Frank S. Sr.
- Botanicals: A Phytocosmetic Desk Reference.
- Boca Raton : CRC Press LLC, 1999.
- Duke, James A. Phytochemical Constituents of GRAS“GRAS” is an acronym for the phrase Generally Recognized As Safe. Under sections 201(s) and 409 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (the Act), any substance that is intentionally added to food is a food additive, that is subject to premarket review and approval by FDA, unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use, or unless the use of the substance is otherwise excluded from the definition of a food additive. Herbs and Other Economic Plants.
- Boca Raton: CRC Press LLC, 1992. Grieve, M. A Modern Herbal.
- London: Tiger Books International, 1994. Gruenwald, Joerg et al. (editors).
- PDR For Herbal Medicines. Montvale, New Jersey: Medical Economics Company, 1998. Greuter, W. Et al. (editors).
- International Code of Botanical Nomenclature. Konigstein, Federal Republic of Germany, 1988. Hobbs, Christopher.
- Medicinal Mushrooms. Loveland, CO : Interweave Press, Inc.