Microscopically, a plant is made up of units or cell, many of which are no longer living and serve only the skeletal function of mechanical support, e.g. the wood of tree trunks. Others are living and serve a variety of functions in the life process of the plant. The individual cells are bounded by a cell wall, (consisting largely of cellulose), and within this wall is a space in the case of dead cells and liquid in the case of living cells. It is the cell content that is of interest to cosmetologists for providing the basis of botanical extracts. The cell content consists largely of water in which is dissolved or suspended various organic and inorganic materials. This is not just a haphazard mixture or emulsion but a highly organised system since the cell is, after all, a living unit carrying out the processes of life. It is not surprising therefore, to find extremely complex substances present; for instance proteins, amino acids, oils and fats, mineral and organic salts, to name but a few.

The solvent used to obtain the extract will be selective and will thus remove only those substances with which it is miscible or which pass into suspension. The most common solvents for cosmetic extracts are glycols and water, in which case only small amounts of oils and fats will be present in the extracted liquid. Botanical extracts for cosmetic use may, however, be prepared which are either alcohol soluble or oil soluble depending upon the solvent used during the process of extracting the plant material. Variable ways are available for obtaining access to the liquid of the living plant cell, the most common being the crushing process, (to rupture the cell walls), followed by solvent extraction to dilute and thus leach out the contained liquid. The liquid thus obtained is clarified and, where necessary, preservatives and stabilisers are added.

Overview     A Guide To Botanical Extracts For Cosmetics And Toiletries     ActiveX     BotaniX     FlowerX     OrganiX     Specifix

Extracts can be made from both freshly harvested or dry plant material. On drying a herb, only the volatile substances are removed, the dissolved and suspended substances being deposited within the now dry and dead cell wall. In this state the herb may be stored until required for extraction. In most cases the aqueous extract is the same whether derived from the dried or freshly harvested herb since deposited water-soluble substances undergo little change in the dry state. An alcoholic extract may, however, differ considerably with the age and storage conditions of the plant material since the deposited oils, (which form an important part of an alcoholic extract), may change in character during lengthy storage, leading to a change in odour of the extract. Similarly, prolonged storage often allows evaporation of the essential oils, and the alcoholic extract from such exhausted material could, at worst, be odourless.

It is through experience that the many beneficial properties of plants are known, but it is of equal importance that a thorough knowledge of toxins and properties that may have an adverse effect are also considered. Increasingly, in a commercially concerned society, marketers are obviously aware of, and concerned with, the toxicity aspects of the products they offer and thus for the materials used in their constitution. In the past, serious toxological studies have been performed using animal tests but these, of course, are now completely unacceptable. Thus toxicity data must be taken from available literature until alternative tests have been acceptably verified.



Most of our extracts can be supplied in hydro-glycolic form and, being light in colour, are particularly suitable for delicately coloured products. Additionally, most extracts can be supplied in the darker aqueous form, and many in alcoholic or oil-miscible versions or variants of these.
Other vehicles can be supplied to requirements as well as providing preservative systems that will be acceptable to differing country’s legislation. Many manufacturers prefer to use a blend of plant extracts and we are pleased to supply such blends to a customer’s brief. Formulators should bear in mind that many water-miscible plant extracts will change their depth of colour with the change in their pH balance. Once this has occurred, however, this reaction goes no further, but needs to be taken into account for very delicately coloured products. Thus if a product with an alkaline reaction is to have a plant extract incorporated, we would recommend that the extract be made alkaline prior to incorporation into the product. This procedure is of particular value during product development stages: any colouration will be seen immediately rather than as a gradual change taking place over some days, and thus may be compensated for during the formulation.