#botanicaltableofelements

[formulabotanica]

Welcome back to our Botanical Table of Elements! Today we’re looking at Element 55 – Carrot Seed (sorry chemists, not Caesium). Follow our #botanicaltableofelements hashtag to see the other elements we’ve shared so far. . Carrot seed (Daucus carota) essential oil has been used in traditional herbal medicine for a very long time, due to its known anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties. It is high in carotol (between 36-73%) and alpha-pinene (1-11%) and if you’ve smelled it before, then you’ll know that it’s quite pungent! (in fact, one of our students once described it to us as the breath of the missing link…) . However pungent carrot seed essential oil might be, it can also be a great addition to skincare formulations. It isn’t specifically known for its antioxidant properties, but distillation of the root yields a strong anti-fungal and anti-bacterial essential oil which has been shown to have significant activity towards the inhibition of Gram-positive bacteria, Cryptococcus neoformans, and dermatophytes. See Alves-Silva et al., 2016. New Claims for Wild Carrot (Daucus carota subsp. carota) Essential Oil. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016 for more information. . Have you ever worked with or used carrot seed before in skincare? What were your experiences? And most importantly, what do you think of its scent? #formulabotanica #daucuscarota #carrotseed #carrotseedoil https://www.instagram.com/p/BrSQlFSnXEB/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=rhlv46m77dfg

[formulabotanica]

Welcome back to our Botanical Table of Elements! Today we’re looking at Element 19 – Gotu Kola (sorry chemists, not Potassium). Follow our #botanicaltableofelements hashtag to see the other elements we’ve shared so far. . Gotu Kola (Centella asiatica) is a medicinal plant that was already used as a wonder herb 3000 years ago. Its extract is a rich source of natural bioactive substances, triterpenoid saponins, flavonoids, phenolic acids, triterpenic steroids, amino acids and sugars. . It has been scientifically proven that gotu kola can be useful in the treatment of skin diseases, especially in wound healing. Studies have found it to stimulate collagen synthesis, thereby having a great effect on supporting the skin. . Studies to read for more information include: • Bylka et al., 2014. Centella asiatica in Dermatology: An Overivew. Phytotherapy Research 28: 1117-1124. • Bylka et al., 2013. Centella asiatica in cosmetology. Postep Derm Alergol 30(1): 46-49. • Ratz-Łyko, et al., 2016. Moisturizing and Antiinflammatory Properties of Cosmetic Formulations Containing Centella asiatica Extract. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2016 Jan-Feb;78(1):27-33. . Have you ever worked with or used Gotu kola before in skincare? What were your experiences? #formulabotanica #gotukola #centellaasiatica https://www.instagram.com/p/BpqvOFVn2W5/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1aqvpc1soimwi

[formulabotanica]

Welcome back to our Botanical Table of Elements! Today we’re looking at Element 53 – Ivy (sorry chemists, not Iodine). Follow our #botanicaltableofelements hashtag to see the other elements we’ve shared so far. . Common ivy (Hedera helix) leaves contain flavonoids such as rutosid and rutinosid, and saponins, such as hederin, hederacosid, and hederagenin. Their fruits have saponins, especially hederin, and the trunk has gomoresins and saponins. All saponins improve lymphatic drainage. . The compound hederin also has an analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect, vasoconstrictor and anti-exudative proprieties, and can also reduce capillary permeability. It activates the circulation which aids drainage of the infiltrated tissue and reduces inflammation. All of these functions could lead to a reduction in cellulite. . Have you ever worked with or used ivy before in skincare? What were your experiences? #formulabotanica #ivy #hederahelix

[formulabotanica]

Best team ever! We have a wonderful team of formulators, educators and professionals here at Formula Botanica - and they’re all super nice people too 💚 . In this photo, a small group of us is admiring our #botanicaltableofelements and showing off our awesome Formula Botanica aprons! If only we’d been able to include all of our other wonderful team members in this photo but they were there with us in spirit. 🌿#formulabotanica #cosmeticscience #teamwork

[formulabotanica]

Welcome back to our Botanical Table of Elements! Today we’re looking at Element 21 – Sacha Inchi (sorry chemists, not Scandium). Follow our #botanicaltableofelements hashtag to see the other elements we’ve shared so far. . Sacha inchi (Plukenetia volubilis Linneo), also known as Inca peanut, wild peanut, sacha peanut or mountain peanut, grows in the lowlands of the Peruvian Amazon, having been cultivated for centuries by the indigenous population. Sacha inchi seeds are a good source of oil (35–60%) and protein (27%). . The seeds are pressed to yield Sacha inchi oil, which is characterised predominantly by high levels of essential fatty acids – 82% of the total oil content consists of a-linolenic and a-linoleic fatty acids. The oil also contains tocopherols, carotenes, polyphenolic compounds and phytosterols. . Have you ever used sacha inchi oil in any of your formulations? What are your experiences with this wonderful oil? Leave us a comment below! ⬇️🌿 #formulabotanica #sachainchi #sachainchioil

[formulabotanica]

Welcome back to our Botanical Table of Elements! Today we’re looking at Element 51 - Strawberry (sorry chemists, not Antimony). Follow our #botanicaltableofelements hashtag to see the other elements we’ve shared so far. . Strawberries aren’t just great to eat, they’re also great in your skincare. Strawberries are covered nutrient-rich seeds which are used to make strawberry seed oil. . Oil suppliers in the UK also use garden strawberries (Fragaria ananassa) to make strawberry seed oil, which are collected as a by-product of the fruit juice and jam manufacturing industry. This is a great way to use a homegrown source of oil and to ensure that these beautiful little seeds aren’t simply discarded. . These tiny strawberry seeds are then cold pressed with a mechanical grinder or press to create a light fragrant oil. Its aroma is fresh, sweet and reminiscent of fresh strawberries – a perfect hint of a sunny English summer in your skincare! . Strawberry seed oil is very high in linoleic and alpha-linolenic acids. These are essential fatty acids and are part of the Omega-3 group. Strawberries also contain an antioxidant called ellagic acid, which is the predominant phenolic antioxidant (a type of antioxidant found only in plant foods) in strawberries. . In April 2009 researchers at Hallym University in the Republic of Korea demonstrated that the application of ellagic acid extracts from nuts, fruits and vegetables keeps skin more youthful by preventing collagen breakdown under the skin. Ellagic acid has an anti-inflammatory effect on the skin and prevents damage from ultraviolet radiation. . The study showed that the skin care products containing ellagic acid provide many benefits such as reducing wrinkles, promoting collagen production and providing protection from UV rays (Bae et al., 2010). Research has indicated that strawberry seeds may contain more health-promoting effects than some other parts of this beautiful red fruit. . Ref: Bae JY, Choi JS, Kang SW, Lee YJ, Park J, Kang YH. 2010. Dietary compound ellagic acid alleviates skin wrinkle and inflammation induced by UV-B irradiation. Exp Dermatol. 2010 🌿 #formulabotanica #strawberry🍓 #skincarenatural

[formulabotanica]

Welcome back to our Botanical Table of Elements! Today we’re looking at Element 10 - Neem (sorry chemists, not Neon). Follow our #botanicaltableofelements hashtag to see the other elements we’ve shared so far. . Azadirachta indica Juss. (Neem) (Meliaceae) is a fast growing evergreen popular tree found commonly in India, Africa and America. It has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 4000 years due to its medicinal properties. Neem is called ‘aristha’ in Sanskrit a word that means ‘perfect, complete and imperishable’. . All parts of the Neem tree have traditionally been used in medicinal preparations, including the leaf, bark, flowers, seeds, fruits and roots. Most studies focus on the properties of the neem leaf. . Neem contains numerous interesting chemical compounds which can have medicinal and cosmetic effects on the skin. Nimbidin has anti-inflammatory properties. Gedunin is thought to possess anti-fungal properties. Mahmoodin has shown moderate antibacterial action against some human pathogenic bacteria. . The main problem with neem oil is that it stinks. Some people describe it as rancid peanut butter, or a combination of dirt, musk and garlic. What are your experiences with neem? How would you describe its fragrance? 🌿 #formulabotanica #neem #neemoil

[formulabotanica]

Welcome back to our Botanical Table of Elements! Did you see our last couple of elements on our Instagram wall? Today we’d like to talk to about a very well-known element… Element 13 is not Aluminium in our table (sorry, chemists) but is Aloe vera instead. . Of particular therapeutic interest in Aloe Vera, is its inner, colourless and tasteless gel, which contains various chemical components including polysaccharides which are responsible for the gel’s glutinous nature. Various polysaccharides have been detected or isolated from the pulp, however, the most often isolated and the most widely studied is the mannan. Several different types of mannans have been identified in aloe, including glucomannans and glucogalactomannans. . These polysaccharides are thought to be beneficial in terms of their effects on skin wounds, burns and the promotion of radiation damage repair. However, the studies that have been undertaken on these compounds currently contradict each other so we are left without a definitive answer for now. . What is your experience of using aloe vera? Leave us a comment below! 🌿 #formulabotanica #botanicaltableofelements #aloevera #aloebarbadensis