Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Leaf Extract

What Is It?

Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Extract, Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Leaf Extract, Corylus Americana (Hazel) Seed Extract, Corylus Americana (Hazel) Leaf Extract, Corylus Rostrata (Hazel) Seed Extract and Corylus Rostrata (Hazel) Leaf Extract are obtained from the seeds (or nuts) and leaves of three species of hazelnut trees. In cosmetics and personal care products, these ingredients are used mainly in the formulation of skin care products.

Why Is It Used?

In cosmetics and personal care products, the extracts of the leaves and seeds of the three hazelnut species function as skin-conditioning agents – miscellaneous.

Scientific Facts

The trees Corylus Americana and Corylus rostrata (also called Corylus cornuta are native to North America, while Corylus avellana is native to Europe. The seeds (or nuts) of all three species may be eaten as food. Hazelnuts also called filberts.
Safety Information

The safety of the hazelnut leaf- and seed-derived ingredients has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated scientific data and concluded that the available data were insufficient to determine whether Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Seed Extract, Corylus Avellana (Hazel) Leaf Extract, Corylus Americana (Hazel) Seed Extract, Corylus Americana (Hazel) Leaf Extract, Corylus Rostrata (Hazel) Seed Extract, and Corylus Rostrata (Hazel) Leaf Extract were either safe or unsafe for use in cosmetics and personal care products. The CIR Expert Panel has also reviewed the safety of hazelnut oils and found the oils safe for use in cosmetic products. Please search this website for hazelnut oil to find more information about the CIR review of these oils.

CIR Safety Review:

An extract of the leaves of Corylus avellana has been shown to have some anti-inflammatory activity. Additional data concerning extracts of the leaves and seeds of hazelnut trees were not identified. While the CIR Expert Panel did not determine that the hazelnut leaf- and seed-derived ingredients presented any specific cause for concern, they concluded that there were not enough data available to permit a final conclusion.

Because some people are allergic to tree nuts, including hazelnuts, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act requires that all food containing hazelnuts be clearly labeled.

Information about the FDA Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/Guidance…

More information about botanical ingredients.

The Hazelnut derived ingredients may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European Union.

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation: http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_packaging/co0013_en.htm

More Scientific Information

In naming plants, botanists use a Latin name made up of the genus and species of the plant. For example, under this system the plant, the one species of hazelnut tree is known as Corylus rostrata Aiton. where “Aiton.” stands for the name of the person who first described the type of plant specimen. Plants are also known by a common name that has been handed down through generations. For example, Corylus rostrata is also called the beaked filbert. These common names may vary from country to country. Therefore, Latin names, which are more likely to be recognized in many countries, are frequently used on the label of a product to identify an ingredient made from plants.
Resources

Cross Reference for Common Names and Latin names for Botanical ingredient: http://www.personalcarecouncil.org/botanicals-cross-reference-latin-bino…

Find out more about the history of using plants to obtain beneficial materials:

Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm

EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/