Rosmarinus officinalis l. (rosemary): An ancient plant with uses in personal healthcare and cosmetics

This work is a bibliographical review of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) that focuses on the application of derivatives of this plant for cosmetic products, an application which has been recognized and valued since Ancient Egyptian times. Rosemary is a plant of Mediterranean origin that has been d...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: González Minero, Francisco José, Bravo Díaz, Luis, Ayala Gómez, Antonio
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2020
País:España
Institución:Universidad de Sevilla (US)
Repositorio:idUS. Depósito de Investigación de la Universidad de Sevilla
OAI Identifier:oai:idus.us.es:11441/102554
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/11441/102554
https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics7040077
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Antioxidants
Cosmeceuticals
Medicinal plants
Pharmacology
Rosemary
Rosmarinus officinalis
Skin care
Descripción
Sumario:This work is a bibliographical review of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) that focuses on the application of derivatives of this plant for cosmetic products, an application which has been recognized and valued since Ancient Egyptian times. Rosemary is a plant of Mediterranean origin that has been distributed throughout different areas of the world. It has many medicinal properties, and its extracts have been used (mainly orally) in folk medicine. It belongs to the Labiatae family, which contains several genera—such as Salvia, Lavandula, and Thymus—that are commonly used in cosmetics, due to their high prevalence of antioxidant molecules. Rosemary is a perennial shrub that grows in the wild or is cultivated. It has glandular hairs that emit fragrant volatile essential oils (mainly monoterpenes) in response to drought conditions in the Mediterranean climate. It also contains diterpenes such as carnosic acid and other polyphenolic molecules. Herein, the botanical and ecological characteristics of the plant are discussed, as well as the main bioactive compounds found in its volatile essential oil and in leaf extracts. Afterward, we review the applications of rosemary in cosmetics, considering its preservative power, the kinds of products in which it is used, and its toxicological safety, as well as its current uses or future applications in topical preparations, according to recent and ongoing studies.