95% of Cosmetics Contain These 10 Natural Antioxidant Plants!
95% of Cosmetics Contain These 10 Natural Antioxidant Plants!
Today we introduce 10 natural antioxidant plants and their applications in cosmetics:
1. Roving Cactus (Rosa roxburghii)
Roving cactus juice has anti-cancer and immune-boosting effects and is rich in VC, which is an excellent antioxidant. The quercetin, gallic acid, catechin, and epicatechin contained in roving cactus all have antioxidant activity, making it a high-quality source of natural antioxidants.
- Vitamin C (VC): 50 times more than lemons, 20 times more than kiwifruit. Every 100ml of juice contains 2g VC, directly scavenging free radicals.
- Superoxide Dismutase (SOD): SOD content is 20-50 times that of grapes, repairing cellular oxidative damage.
- Polyphenols & Flavonoids: Contains over 60 active components (such as roxburghiin), synergizing with VC and SOD to form a "triple antioxidant matrix".
- Overall Activity: Antioxidant activity is 40 times that of lemon juice, far exceeding ordinary fruits. Animal experiments show it can reduce alcoholic liver injury; human trials indicate detoxification, anti-inflammatory effects, aiding recovery for patients undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
Roving cactus, as an emerging cosmetic raw material, has attracted attention from domestic and international cosmetic companies and has been applied in various products. Currently, there are roving cactus-related sheet masks, facial cleansers, face creams, body lotions, and shower gels on the market, with effects including improving dull skin, whitening, and antioxidant benefits.
Grape is a widely distributed fruit that can be made into wine. Grapes contain anthocyanins, catechins, resveratrol, amino acids, and their extracts have antibacterial, anti-melanin production, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, and whitening effects. Grape seeds are rich in resveratrol, and most current cosmetics are related to grape seeds.
- Anthocyanins & Resveratrol: Found in skins and seeds, inhibiting lipid peroxidation, protecting cardiovascular health.
- Polyphenols: Grape seed extract's antioxidant capacity is 50 times that of vitamin E; proanthocyanidins can enhance immunity.
- Vitamin C: Content about 4mg/100g, synergizing with other components to improve antioxidant efficiency.
- Free Radical Scavenging: Grape seed polyphenols can terminate free radical chain reactions, reducing low-density lipoprotein (LDL) oxidation risk.
Currently, there are wine sheet masks, application masks, facial cleansers, and toners claiming brightening effects. French company Caudalie has launched a series of products containing grape extracts, including toners and grape seed essential oils, focusing on soothing, whitening, and antioxidant benefits. There are also emulsion and cream products on the market.
China is the world's earliest country to plant, process, and drink tea, with abundant tea resources. Tea is rich in nutrients, including free amino acids, mineral elements, and aromatic substances. Tea extracts have long been used to develop anti-aging agents, with effects including reducing pigmentation, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, wrinkle-smoothing and firming, soothing, and moisturizing. Caffeine in tea has anti-edema effects. Tea polyphenols are the main antioxidant components in tea extracts.
- Tea Polyphenols: Account for 18%-36% of tea dry weight, antioxidant capacity 6 times that of vitamin E, 5 times that of vitamin C.
- Catechins (EGCG): Highest content in green tea (3%-5%), activating SOD and other antioxidant enzyme systems, dual defense against free radicals.
- Theaflavins: Black tea fermentation products, although content lower than tea polyphenols, have anti-inflammatory and metabolic regulation effects.
- Tea Comparison: Green tea > White tea > Oolong tea > Black tea. Green tea's antioxidant indicators are 2-3 times higher than black tea. Long-term green tea consumption can increase serum antioxidant enzyme activity by 23%, reducing lipid peroxide levels.
Tea extracts have been used earlier in cosmetics development. Domestic cosmetic companies have launched many tea-related cosmetics. Marketed such cosmetics mainly include skincare water, emulsion/cream, essential oil, shampoo, etc., generally labeled with firming, moisturizing, soothing, brightening, and antioxidant effects.
4. Rose
Roses can be used to make fresh flower cakes, floral tea, and for cooking soups and porridge. Rose's beauty effects have been passed down from ancient times to today; people back then already started using roses for skincare. Ancient Chinese Empress Wu Zetian particularly loved rose water. Roses contain anthocyanins, epicatechin, dihydroquercetin, rutin, quercitrin, and other components. Their extracts have anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antioxidant, anti-allergic, whitening, and anti-wrinkle effects.
- Flavonoids: Contain quercetin, kaempferol, etc., scavenging superoxide anions and hydroxyl radicals.
- Polyphenols: Gallic acid as core active component, antioxidant activity stronger than vitamin E.
- Vitamin C: Relatively high content, assisting in enhancing antioxidant effects.
- In Vitro Experiments: Rose extract's DPPH free radical scavenging rate increases with concentration, better than ascorbic acid solution. Flavonoids and polyphenols synergistically inhibit inflammatory factors, protecting vascular endothelial cells.
Cosmetics mainly include rose hydrosol, essential oil, facial cleanser, moisturizing water, emulsion, face cream, eye cream, handmade soap, shower gel, etc., with a wide range of formulations. The most famous rose-made cosmetic is rose essential oil, with Damask rose essential oil also showing anti-acne and sunscreen effects.
5. Mung Bean
Mung beans contain anthocyanins, coumarin, daidzein, and other components, with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, skin-tenderizing, antioxidant, and anti-allergic effects.
- Polyphenols: Vitexin and isovitexin account for over 90% of total phenols, inhibiting amylase activity, assisting blood sugar control.
- Vitamin E & Selenium: Trace amounts but synergistic antioxidant effects, enhancing immunity.
- Antioxidant Capacity: Bound polyphenols contribute 34.7%-56.0% to total antioxidant activity, but overall weaker than blueberries, roving cactus, etc.
Mung beans added to cosmetics are mainly made into mung bean cleansing mud masks, sheet masks, moisturizing water, emulsion/cream, essence. Many domestic companies have launched various mung bean-related cosmetics, focusing on cleaning blackheads, brightening complexion, anti-aging, and smoothing skin.
6. Almond
Almonds have high oil content, rich in 16 unsaturated fatty acids mainly oleic acid and linoleic acid, complete amino acid types, containing multiple vitamins and minerals, a very common dried fruit, oil crop, and medicinal plant.
- Vitamin E: Content 19 times that of walnuts, fat-soluble antioxidant, protecting cell membranes.
- Polyphenols: Skin contains large amounts of polyphenols, inhibiting cholesterol oxidation, protecting cardiovascular health.
- Ellagic Acid: Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, assisting in preventing chronic diseases.
- Daily Intake: 20-30g almonds provide about 8mg vitamin E, meeting 67% of adult daily requirement. Vitamin E and polyphenols synergistically scavenge free radicals, delaying skin aging.
Almonds are applied in cosmetics mainly in the form of almond oil, made into hair oil, massage oil, sunscreen oil. French natural plant skincare brand L'Occitane has launched shower gel and body lotion containing related components.
7. Rosemary
Rosemary contains multiple antioxidant components, mainly diterpenoids, including carnosol, carnosic acid, rosmarinic acid, rosmanol, epirosmanol, isorosmanol, rosmaridiphenol, etc. Additionally, rosmarinic acid has good antibacterial, anti-infection, spot-removing, and elasticity-increasing effects.
- Carnosic Acid & Rosmarinic Acid: Antioxidant capacity 2-4 times that of BHA/BHT, heat-resistant (stable at 240°C).
- Carnosol: Inhibits lipid peroxidation, better than vitamin E and chlorogenic acid.
- Adding 0.2mg/g can increase peanut oil antioxidant capacity by 40 times, extending shelf life; rosmarinic acid can improve neurodegenerative diseases, inhibiting Alzheimer's-related protein aggregation.
Rosemary essential oil not only has the above advantages but can also be added as a natural preservative to other cosmetics to slow oxidation of other components. Research shows rosemary antioxidants achieve antioxidant effects by absorbing ultraviolet rays, suggesting application in sunscreen products. Marketed rosemary-related cosmetics mainly include hydrosol, essential oil, shower gel, shampoo, conditioner, etc., with main effects of removing closed comedones, firming, moisturizing; when used for hair care, it has nourishing and moisturizing effects.
Sea buckthorn contains relatively more vitamin A, C, E, B1, B2, folic acid, malic acid, citric acid, tartaric acid, amino acids, minerals, superoxide dismutase, and flavonoid substances. Existing research shows sea buckthorn flavonoids have antioxidant, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Vitamin C: Content over 6 times that of citrus, 800-1500mg per 100g fresh fruit.
- Carotenoids: 3000-15000μg/100g, 3-5 times that of carrots, protecting vision and skin.
- Proanthocyanidins & Flavonoids: Total flavonoid content 53.6-174mg/100g, far exceeding common fruits.
- Antioxidant Activity: VC, carotenoids, flavonoids synergistic effect, free radical scavenging efficiency twice that of blueberries.
Currently, there are sea buckthorn mask paste, sea buckthorn hand cream, sea buckthorn day cream, sea buckthorn night cream, sea buckthorn shampoo, sea buckthorn bath liquid. Other sea buckthorn-related cosmetic types include: sheet masks, essential oil, essence. Product main effects are antioxidant, moisturizing, stabilization and repair, brightening, anti-wrinkle, spot-lightening.
9. Olive
Olives are rich in fatty acids, such as malic acid, quinic acid, citric acid, oxalic acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, and other small molecular fatty acids, also containing linoleic acid, oleic acid, and palmitic acid, with whitening and moisturizing effects.
- Olive Polyphenols: Highest in extra virgin olive oil (500-1000mg/kg), containing oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol.
- Squalene: Promotes cholesterol metabolism, enhances skin antioxidant capacity. Early-harvested olives have 30% higher polyphenol content than mature period; refining process causes over 50% polyphenol loss.
Olive oil can reduce stress-induced signs of skin aging in mice, indicating olive oil has anti-aging effects, hence many cosmetics use olive oil extracted from olives as raw material. Although olive lipids are less than olive oil, they are also rich in polyphenols and flavonoids.
10. Pagoda Tree Bud (Sophora japonica)
Pagoda tree buds contain rutin, betulin, sophoradiol, sophorin A, and quercetin and other flavonoid compounds.
- Rutin: Content up to 20%, needs conversion to quercetin for absorption, free radical scavenging efficiency up to 96%.
- Quercetin: Enhances SOD activity, inhibits lipid peroxidation, significant anti-inflammatory effects. Activity Performance: Pagoda tree bud extract's hydroxyl radical scavenging rate reaches 70%, can be added as food antioxidant.
Research shows pagoda tree bud extract has certain in vitro antioxidant activity. Compared with traditional antioxidant VC, its DPPH scavenging effect is better than VC; hydroxyl radical scavenging rate and reducing ability are close to VC; 0.3g/L pagoda tree bud extract solution's tyrosinase inhibition rate is 60.33%; adding pagoda tree bud extract to emulsion cosmetics can effectively improve moisturizing, enhance whitening effects, safe and non-irritating to skin.
Summary of Differences
Extremely high SOD and VC content, strongest antioxidant activity
Heat-resistant, stable at high temperatures
Multi-dimensional antioxidant components, rich in VC, carotenoids, flavonoids
Green or white tea has the highest cost performance, can be brewed with 80°C warm water, 2-3 cups daily
Outstanding rutin content
Key Takeaways
- 95% of cosmetics contain natural antioxidant plant extracts
- Different plants offer unique antioxidant mechanisms and benefits
- Roving cactus has the highest antioxidant activity among the plants listed
- Green tea and white tea offer the best cost-performance ratio for daily consumption
- Each plant has specific cosmetic applications based on its antioxidant profile
- Natural antioxidants provide multiple skin benefits beyond just fighting free radicals
These natural antioxidant plants not only provide excellent free radical scavenging capabilities but also offer additional benefits such as anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, whitening, and moisturizing effects. Their diverse applications in cosmetics make them valuable ingredients for comprehensive skincare formulations.
