Exploring the Plant Kingdom for Sources of Skincare Cosmeceuticals

Abstract

This chapter describes the significance of various herbal ingredients in cosmeceutical preparations based on the scientific evidence of their biological activities, and emphasizes modern day approaches to develop more consumer-friendly and biologically-enhanced products. The present-day herbal skincare cosmeceuticals are formulated with the incorporation of one or more herbal ingredients, particularly those that had been used since time immemorial for beautification purposes, or for the treatment of various ailments of the skin. In the DNA damage concept, one of the theories explains the damage caused by the free radicals that are originated from exogenous sources, such as ultraviolet and ionizing radiations, and from several intracellular sources. Antimicrobial activity is also important for natural skincare cosmeceuticals, particularly, the antimicrobial activity against acne-causing bacterial species. The bioavailability and skincare properties of Aloe vera leaf gel extract were enhanced by liposome encapsulation, and this has significantly increased the collagen synthesis, in comparison to the Aloe vera leaf gel extract alone.