Importance of Herbal Cosmetics

Importance of Herbal Cosmetics

The word cosmetic was derived from the Greek word “kosm tikos” meaning having the power, arrange, skill in decorating 1. The origin of cosmetics forms a continuous narrative throughout the history of man as they developed. The man in prehistoric times 3000 BC used colours for decoration to attract the animals that he wished to hunt and also the man survived attack from the enemy by colouring his skin and adorned his body for protection to provoke fear in an enemy (whether man or animal). The origin of cosmetics were associated with hunting, fighting, religion and superstition and later associated with medicine

The term Cosmeceuticals was first used by Raymond Reed founding member of US Society of Cosmetics Chemist in 1961. He actually used the word to brief the active and science based cosmetics. The above term was further used by Dr. Albert Kligman in the year 1984 to refer the substances that have both cosmetic and therapeutic benefits. Cosmeceuticals are cosmetic pharma-ceutical hybrids intended to enhance health and beauty through ingredients that influence the skin’s biological texture and function.

The only factor they had to rely on was the knowledge of nature compiled in the Ayurveda. The science of Ayurveda had utilized many herbs and floras to make cosmetics for beautification and protection from external affects. The natural content in the botanicals does not cause any side effects on the human body; instead enrich the body with nutrients and other useful minerals. The cosmetics, according to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act is defined as articles intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled or sprayed on, introduced into or otherwise applied to the human body or any part for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance. The cosmetic does not come under the preview of drug license. There is common belief that chemical based cosmetics are harmful to the skin and an increased awareness among consumers for herbal products triggered the demand for natural products and natural extracts in cosmetics preparations. The increased demand for the natural product has created new avenues in cosmeceutical market. The Drug and Cosmetics Act specify that herbs and essential oils used in cosmetics must not claim to penetrate beyond the surface layers of the skin nor should have any therapeutic effect.

Herbal cosmetics, here in after referred as products, are formulated, using various permissible cosmetic ingredients to form the base in which one or more herbal ingredients are used to provide defined cosmetic benefits only, shall be called as “Herbal Cosmetics”. The history of the herbal cosmetics industry includes very dark chapters in European and Western countries from about six centuries back. Mixtures and pastes were then used to whiten the face, a practice which remained popular till over four hundred years later. The early mixtures that were used in Europe for this purpose were so potent that they often led to paralysis, strokes or death. In that era, the history of herbal cosmetics in the 1940s shows how the fashion or trend with respect to lipstick colours was changed annually, getting darker and closer to red every passing year.

There is an extensive variety of the herbal cosmetics that are produced and commonly used for daily purposes. Herbal cosmetics like herbal conditioner, herbal soaps, herbal face wash, herbal shampoo, and many more are exceptionally acclaimed by the masses. The best thing of the herbal cosmetics is that it is purely made by the herbs and shrubs. The natural content in the herbs does not have any reactions on the human body; rather enhance the body with, supplements and other helpful minerals. Herbal cosmetics are comprised of floras like saffron (kesar), ashwagandha, sandal (chandan) and numerous increasingly that is expanded with healthy nutrients and all the various essential components. It is evaluated that roughly 400 flavours are utilized far and wide, although only about 70 spices are officially recognized. Herbs have variety of function such as food flavourings, cosmetics and medicine in the forms of tea, tablet, capsule, tincture, cream, syrup and liquid.

The worldwide herbal industry is currently evaluated to be more than US$10 billion dollars and expanding at a rate of three to four percent annually for reasons of increased consumption in processed foods and demand for ethnic foods, natural fragrances, and innovation in beverage products. The biggest markets, regarding of manufacturing and consumption are in Europe, followed by Asia.

Herbal medicines include herbs, herbal materials, herbal preparations and finished herbal products. In some countries herbal medicines may contain, by tradition, natural organic or inorganic active ingredients that are not of plant origin (e.g. animal and mineral materials).

Herbs include crude plant material, such as leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, stems, wood, bark, roots, rhizomes or other plant parts, which may be entire, fragmented or powdered.

Herbal materials include, in addition to herbs, fresh juices, gums, fixed oils, essential oils, resins and dry powders of herbs. In some countries, these materials may be processed by various local procedures, such as steaming, roasting or stir-baking with honey, alcoholic beverages or other materials.

Herbal preparations are the basis for finished herbal, products and may include comminute or powdered herbal materials, or extracts, tinctures and fatty oils of herbal materials. They are produced by extraction, fractionation, purification, concentration, or other physical or biological processes. They also include preparations made by steeping or heating herbal materials in alcoholic beverages and/or honey, or in other materials.

Finished herbal products consist of herbal preparations made from one or more herbs. If more than one herb is used, the term “mixture herbal product” can also be used. Finished herbal products and mixture herbal products may contain excipients in addition to the active ingredients.

However, finished products or mixture herbal products to which chemically defined active substances have been added, including synthetic compounds and/or isolated constituents from herbal materials, are not considered to be herbal.

Present Status: Herbalists today, believe to help people build their good health with the help of natural sources. Herbs are considered to be food rather than medicine because they’re complete, all-natural and pure, as nature intended. When herbs are taken, the body starts to get cleansed, it gets purifying itself. Unlike chemically synthesized, highly concentrated drugs that may produce many side effects, herbs can effectively realign the body’s defence. Herbs do not produce instant cures, but rather offer a way to put the body inpropertune with nature for thousands of years, humans have used herbs. Herbs have been used in the following ways – In cooking for flavouring foods, as perfumes, as disinfectants, to protect us against germs, as medicines to heal when we are sick 10, 11.

Advantages of Herbal Cosmetics over Synthetic: Herbal cosmetics are the modern trend in the field of beauty and fashion. These agents are gaining popularity as nowadays most women prefer natural products over chemicals for their personal care to enhance their beauty as these products supply the body with nutrients and enhance health and provide satisfaction as these are free from synthetic chemicals and have relatively less side-effects compared to the synthetic cosmetics 12.

Following are some of the advantages of using natural cosmetics which make them a better choice over the synthetic ones:

Natural Products: The name itself suggests that herbal cosmetics are natural and free from all the harmful synthetic chemicals which otherwise may prove to be toxic to the skin. Instead of traditional synthetic products different plant parts and plant extracts are used in these products, e.g. Aloe vera gel and coconut oil. They also consist of natural nutrients like Vitamin E that keeps skin healthy, glowing and beautiful. For example, Aloe vera is a herbal plant species belonging to Liliaceae family and is naturally and easily available 13. There are a rising number of consumers concerned about ingredients such as synthetic chemicals, mineral oils who demand more natural products with traceable and more natural ingredients, free from harmful chemicals and with an emphasis on the properties of botanicals 14.

Safe to Use: Compared to other beauty products, natural cosmetics are safe to use. They are hypo-allergenic and tested and proven by dermatologists to be safe to use anytime, anywhere. Since they are made of natural ingredients, people don’t have to worry about getting skin rashes or experience skin itchiness. Example – BHA (Butylated Hydroxy-anisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) are closely related synthetic antioxidants and are used as preservatives in lipsticks and moisturizers 15. BHA and BHT can induce allergic reactions in the skin 16. The international Agency for Research on Cancer classifies BHA as a possible human carcinogen 17. Herbal cosmetics contain natural antioxidants like Vitamin C 18.

Compatible with All Skin Types: Natural cosmetics are suitable for all skin types. No matter if you are dark or fair, you will find natural cosmetics like foundation, eye shadow, and lipstick which are appropriate irrespective of your skin tone. Women with oily or sensitive skin can also use them and never have to worry about degrading their skin condition.

Coal tar derived colours are used extensively in cosmetics; coal tar is recognized as a human carcinogen and the main concern with individual coal tar a colour (whether produced from coal tar or synthetically) is they can cause cancer 19. But natural colours that are obtained from herbs are safer.

Wide Selection to choose From: Natural cosmetics may still be a new type in the beauty industry but they already offer a variety of beauty products for all make up crazy people out there to choose from. One will find a variety of foundation, eye shadow, lipstick, blush, mascara, concealer and many more which are all naturally formulated. Furthermore, one will find locally made natural cosmetics or those made by famous designers worldwide. There exist a large variety of herbal extracts, to name a few Andrographis paniculata (Kalmegh), Asparagus racemosus (Shatawari), Boswellia serrata (Salai Guggal), Asphalt (Shilajit) etc 20.

Fits Your Budget: Natural cosmetics are not that expensive. In fact, some of these products are more affordable than synthetic ones. They are offered at discounted prices and are sold for a cheap price during sales. Just need to survey enough to look for great deals. An estimate of WHO demonstrates about 80 % of world population depends on natural products for their health care, because of side effects inflicted and rising cost of modern medicine. World Health Organization currently recommends and encourages traditional herbal cures in natural health care programs as these drugs are easily available at low cost and are comparatively safe 21.

Not Tested on Animals: Some cosmetics are initially tested on animals to ensure that they are safe and effective to use for human. However, natural cosmetics need not be tested on animals. These natural formulations are tested by experts in laboratories using state of the art equipment with no animals involved 12.

No Side Effects: The synthetic beauty products can irritate your skin, and cause pimples. They might block your pores and make your skin dry or oily. With natural cosmetics, one need not worry about these. The natural ingredients used assure no side effects; one can apply them anytime, anywhere. For example herbal cosmetics are free from parabens that are the most widely used preservative in cosmetics and can penetrate the skin 22. And are suspected of interfering with hormone function (endocrine disruption) 15.

Regulatory Status: The legal difference between a cosmetic and a drug is determined by a products intended use. Under present concept, the boundary at which a cosmetic product becomes drug is not well-defined and different laws and regulations apply to each type of product.

The drugs and cosmetic Act 1940 defines a drug and a cosmetic as; Drug- “All medicines for internal or external use of human beings or animals and all substances intended to be used for; or in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of any disease or disorder in humans or animals”.

Cosmetic- “Any article intended to be rubbed, poured, sprinkled or sprayed on or introduced into or applied to any part of the human body for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance and includes any article intended for use as a component of cosmetic” 23 – 24.

Some products meet the definitions of both cosmetics and drugs. This may happen when a product has more than one intended uses. For example, a shampoo is a cosmetic because its intended use is to clean the hair. An anti-dandruff shampoo is a drug because its intended use is to treat dandruff. Among the cosmetic/drug combinations are toothpastes that contain fluoride, deodorants that are antiperspirants and moisturizers with sun-protection claims. The claims made about drugs are subject to detailed analysis by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) review and approval process, but cosmetics are not subject to mandatory FDA review. Although there is no legal category called cosmeceuticals, the term has found application to designate the products at the border line between cosmetics and pharmaceuticals 25 – 26.

Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act do not recognize the term itself. It is also often difficult for consumers to determine whether ‘claims’ about the actions or efficiency of cosmeceuticals are valid unless the product has been approved by the FDA or equivalent agency. Some countries have the classes of products that fall between the two categories of cosmetics and drugs: for example, Japan has ‘Quasi-drugs’; Thailand has ‘controlled cosmetics’ and Hong Kong has ‘cosmetic-type drugs’. The regulations of cosmeceuticals have not been harmonized between the USA, European, Asian and other countries 27.

Indian Extracts for Herbal Cosmetics: Herbs play a significant role, especially in modem aimes, when the damaging effects of food processing and overmedication have assumed alarming proportions. They are now being increasingly cosmetics, foods and teas, as well as alternative medicines. The growing interest in herbs is a part of the movement towards change in life-styles. This movement is based on the belief that the plants have a vast potential for their use as a curative medicine 28.

Aloe vera: is a most ingenious mixture of an antibiotic, an astringent coagulating agent, a pain inhibitor and a growth stimulator (also called a “wound hormone”), whose function is to accelerate the healing of injured surfaces. It is used for pain relief and healing of ‘hemorrhoids, applied externally and internally it’s also used for sunburn, scratch and a cleansing purge for the body or skin. It is an aid to growing new tissue and alleviating the advance of skin cancer caused by the sun 29.

Amla (Embilica officinalis): Amla is the name given to the fruit of a small leafy tree (Emblica officinalis), which grows throughout India and bears an edible fruit. This fruit is highly prized both for its high Vitamin C content and for the precious oil, which is extracted from its seeds and pulp and used as a treatment for hair and scalp problems. It is used in eye syndromes, hair loss and children ailments etc 29.

Brahmi (Bacopa monnoria): Reetha powder is prepared from dried fruit of Reetha. It can be used as a face pack to improve facial complexion. It is used as a hair application to make hair shiny and their beautification. It also removes dandruff and lice in hair. It can also be used to clean jewellery and washing woolen clothes. It is used in Ayurvedic preparations and Herbal Shampoos 29.

Multani Mitts (Fullers Earth): It is Mother Nature’s own baby powder. Clay was one of the earliest substances to be used as a beauty mask to draw oils from the skin, natural moisturizers for hairs, teeth, gums and hair. To remove pimple marks, treating sunburn, helps unclog pores, to cleanse the skin of flakes and dirt 29.

Neem (Azadirachata indica) “Sarva Roga Nivarini: the curer of all ailments” Neem’s role as a wonder drug is stressed as far back as 4500 years ago. Some of its health restoring benefits Effective in skin infection, rashes and pimples, immunity booster, anti obesity, blood purifier for beautiful and healthy skin, anti diabetic, anti viral, dispels intestinal worms and parasites, malaria, piles, hair disorder and oral disorders 29.

Shikaka (Acasia cancina): Acasia concinna is a small shrub-like tree, which grows in the warm, dry plains of central India. For centuries the people who have had access to this tree have used its pod-like fruit to clean their hair. It‘s considered a superior cleanser for “lustrous long hair” and has been reported as “promoting hair growth and preventing dandruff. It also helps in removing dandruff and lice and very effective in removing oil and dirt from hair 29.