Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract

What Is It?

Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) ExtractThe mixture of substances drawn out of a material by solution, heat, or another physical or chemical process., Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower Wax, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Powder, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Water and Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Water are ingredients made from the herb, Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinals). When the ingredient name does not include a plant part, it means that the ingredient is made from the whole plant, rather than a specific plant part. In cosmetics and personal care products, Rosemary-derived ingredients are used in the formulation of a wide variety of product types, including shampoos, shaving products, skin care products, suntan products, bath products, makeup, cleansing products, hair conditioners, permanent waves, shampoos and personal cleanliness products.

Why Is It Used?

The following functions have been reported for the Rosemary-derived ingredients.

Antimicrobial agentIngredients that kill microorganisms, or prevent or inhibit their growth and reproduction. In the United States, antimicrobial agents are regulated as Over-The-Counter (OTC) drug ingredients. – Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
AntioxidantIngredients that prevent or slow deterioration due to chemical reaction with oxygen. – Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
Deodorant agentIngredients that reduce or eliminate unpleasant odor and that protect against the formation of such odors on the skin. – Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower Extract
Flavoring agentIngredients that impart a flavor or a taste to a product. – Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Powder
Fragrance ingredientSubstances that impart an odor to a product. – Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower Wax, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Water, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Water
Skin conditioning agent – miscellaneous – Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower Extract, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Flower/Leaf/Stem Extract; Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf; Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Oil, Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract
Skin conditioning agent – occlusive – Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract

Scientific Facts

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 odor were all known and used in ancient times. Using plants as a source of cosmetic ingredients was the only way to produce products for cleaning, moisturizing, covering up blemishes and even treating minor skin conditions before our knowledge of science allowed the creation of new materials to improve on what nature offers. Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. The fresh and dried leaves are used often in Mediterranean cuisine.

Safety Information

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) includes Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) on its list of spices and other natural seasonings and flavorings considered Generally Recognized As Safe (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.). Botanical and botanically-derived ingredients used in the formulation of cosmetics are generally mild and safe. Prior to marketing the finished cosmetic product, the safety of each ingredient must be substantiated in accordance with 21 CFR 740.10. Safety substantiation of cosmetic ingredients may include tests for ocular and skin irritation as well as allergenicity, phototoxicity, photoallergenicity and mutagenicity, depending on the application or intended use. There is a considerable body of information about the safety of botanical ingredients and a well established history of use. These resources are consulted to ensure the safety of these materials as they are used in cosmetics and personal care products.

In selecting botanical ingredients for preparation of cosmetic products, formulators rely on the extensive history of their preparation and use. Such materials have been used for a long time and, based upon this experience, extensive knowledge of their safety has been gained. In the situation of newly identified botanicals in the cosmetic industry, appropriate ocular and skin safety studies are conducted prior to release into general commerce. There are many different references that describe the isolation, use and safety of botanical preparations.

More information about botanical ingredients.

Link to FDA Code of Federal Regulations for Rosemary

Rosemary-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 UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..

Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…

More Scientific Information

A botanical ingredient is a plant or plant part obtained from natural plant sources. Botanical ingredients are among the oldest materials used in the preparation of cosmetics and are valued for their properties, such as color, flavor, and/or scent. Botanical ingredients can be prepared from all or some of the parts of the plant. They may also be obtained using extracting solvents (such as alcoholAlcohols are a large class of important cosmetic ingredients but only ethanol needs to be denatured to prevent it from being redirected from cosmetic applications to alcoholic beverages.), infusion with water, steam treatment to obtain essential oils or simply by drying and grinding the material. It is important to follow good manufacturing practices (GMP) to make sure the ingredient composition is consistent from one batch to another and to make sure that the ingredient does not degrade or grow microorganisms. 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, Rosemary is known as Rosmarinus officinalis L., where “L” stands for Linneaus, who first described the type of plant specimen. Plants are also known by a common name that has been handed down through generations. 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

Find out more about the regulation of Food Additives by the Food and Drug Administration

Food Ingredients and Packaging: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/default.htm

Food Contact Substances: http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/PackagingFCS/defaul…

Substances Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS): http://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/default.htm

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:

Duke University: Brief History of Beauty and Hygiene Products http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/adaccess/cosmetics-history.html
National Library of Medicine: Beauty and the body: the origins of cosmetics http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&lis…
University of Maryland “Herbs by Name” http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsLookups/Herbs.html

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/