GOING GREEN: ARTICHOKE EXTRACT MAY BE THE NEXT WUNDERKIND IN SKIN CARE
Every year or so new botanicals take center stage in the skin care world as having unique properties, such as anti-aging, anti-acne, skin brightening and more. The emerging hot properties in topical skin care coming from the garden and your the kitchen may be artichokes and mushrooms.
Extracts from artichokes and snow mushrooms may help turn back the hands of time, according to two new studies presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology in San Francisco.
And these natural ingredients may soon be finding their way into skin care products and cosmeceuticals. “You won’t have to wait too long,†teases lead study author Frauke Neuser, PhD, a principal scientist at Proctor and Gamble Beauty.
Artichoke Extract (Cynara scolymus) is found in the bulb vegetable often seen on the menus of upscale Italian restaurants as a starter. But there is more to its value. In one study, skin cells treated with artichoke extract expressed higher levels of procollagen 1 and hyaluronan levels. Collagen is one of the building blocks of healthy skin, and our body’s natural supply dwindles as we age. Hyaluronan or hyaluronic acid boosts collagen and retains the skin’s moisture.
Mushrooms are another potential hero ingredient for skin care. Whereas kojic acid used for skin brightening is derived from a type of mushroom, and various other forms of fungi have made their way into creams and lotion, the snow mushroom also shows promise. Often used in traditional Chinese medicine, snow mushroom extract was also shown to improve skin hydration. “This extract is all about hydration. It’s like hylauronic acid on steroids, “ says Neuser.
Human skin cells treated with snow fungus extract demonstrated a significant uptick in the genes that keep skin moist and plump. “Based on these promising results, this fungus is being incorporated into new skincare products,” Neuser says.
Stay tuned.
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