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Polyplant Emollient
Polyplant Emollient is a complex of vegetable extracts containing the following plants, Hamamelis,
Mallow, Chamomile and Lime Tree.
Hamamelis
BOTANY
Hamamelis virginiana L., commonly known as witch hazel, is a small tree or shrub that belongs to the
Hamamelidaceae family. It grows between 1.5 and 3.5 m in height. The bark is brown and smooth. The
leaves are deciduous, elliptic to ovate, margins wavy, asymmetrical at the base, between 7.5 and 12.5
cm long. The flowers are yellow outside and yellowish brown inside, with four characteristic thread-like,
about 2 cm long petals. Blooming occurs by the end of Autumn, when the leaves fall. The fruit is a
capsule.
Hamamelis is native to North America, where it often grows in the damp forests of the South-eastern
areas (from Brunswick and Quebec until Minnesota, south of Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Texas). It
is cultivated in the United States and Canada. In Europe, cultivation is at the small scale, especially as
an ornamental bush for gardens.
The leaves must be harvested in Summer. The leaves are almost odourless and have an astringent,
mildly bitter, aromatic taste.
The part used of hamamelis is its leaves.
CHEMISTRY
Tannins
The proportion of tannins is between 3 and 10% of total composition.
They are a combination of gallic tannins, condensed catechols, procyanidols and hydrolysable tannins
(hamamelitannins).
Hydrolysable tannins are oligo- or poly-esters of a sugar (or a related polyol) and a variable number of
phenol acid molecules. The sugar is, generally, glucose. The phenol acid is either gallic acid (these are
called gallic tannins) or hexahydroxydiphenic (HHDP) acid and its oxidation derivatives (these are called
ellagic tannins).
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Condensed tannins – or proanthocyanidols – are flavan polymers. They are made up of flavan-3-ols
units attached one to each other by carbon-carbon bonds, generally 4→8 or 4→6, which result from the
attachment between the electrophilic C-4 of a flavanyl (that comes from a flavan-4-ol or a flavan-3,4-diol)
and a nucleophilic position (usually C-8 and less frequently C-6) of another unit, generally flavan-3-ol
(Bruneton J., 2001).
Essential oil
Essential oil is 0.01-0.5%. It is rich in alcohols (40%), esters (15%), carbonyl compounds (25%) and
safrol (< 0.2%).
Other active principles
Leucoanthocyanidins, flavonoids (myricetin, quercetin, kaempherol and astragalin), phenolic acids
(quinic acid, caffeic acid and gallic acid), choline (0.18-0.20%), oxalic acid and unidentified bitter
substances.
TRADITIONAL USES
In the popular medicine, hamamelis leaves are used internally, to relief diarrhoea, metrorrhagia,
haemorrhoids, proctorrhagia, abundant vaginal discharge and digestive haemorrhage. Bark decoction is
also recommended for these proposes, as well as for inflammation of the gums and mouth mucosa (as
mouthwash or gargles).
Mallow
BOTANY
Malva sylvestris L., common name mallow, is an annual or biannual plant, semi-woody at the base,
which belongs to the Malvaceae family. The stems – erect, hairy and branched – grow up to one meter
tall. The leaves are alternate and hairy, long-petioled, with toothed margins and palmate veins. The
flowers are large (2.5 to 4cm diameter) blue or purple, with five slender petals, arranged in bunches at
the axils of leaves. Flowering occurs in spring and summer. The fruit is a yellowish achenecetum.
Mallow occurs spontaneously in almost the whole of Europe, North of Asia and Africa. This plant grows
on roadsides, embankments, slopes, forest clearings, walls and modified soils, due to the penetration
ability of its thin roots. It requires temperate-warm climates or mountain conditions. In America (from
Mexico to Argentina and Chile), mallow is adventitious. The main producers are central European
countries.
The part used of mallow is its flowers.
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CHEMISTRY
Mucilages
10-16%. Mallow contains uronic mucilages. Upon hydrolysis, they generate D-galacturonic acid, Dglucose, D-galactose, L-rhamnose and L-arabinose.
Phenolic compounds
•
•
•
•
Anthocyanosides
7%. Malvin and its genin malvidin.
Flavonoids
Derivatives of gossypetine and hypoletin.
Phenolic acids
p-coumaric acid, chlorogenic acid and caffeic acid
Tannins
TRADITIONAL USES
Mallow flowers are usually prepared as an infusion – alone or in combination with eucalyptus, borage or
balm mint – to treat bronchial catarrh, cough and as a diuretic. In some regions, teaspoonfuls of mallow
water extract are usually added to the feeding bottles of nursing babies to relief cough.
Chamomile
BOTANY
Matricaria chamomilla L. (= M. recutita Rauch.; M. courrantiana DC.; Chamomilla recutita (L.)
Rauschert). It is an annual herb that belongs to the Asteraceae family. It grows approximately 10-50 cm tall.
The stems are straight, cylindrical, furrowed, whitish-green in colour. The leaves are twice or three-times
pinnate, sessile, arranged along the stem in an alternate fashion.
The flowers aggregate in capitula, which are 10-25 mm in diameter. The capitula appear on axillary, 3-10
cm long peduncles. The receptacle is cone-shaped, sharp-ended, hollow, without scales. The outermost
flowers are ligulate and female; the innermost flowers are tubular and hermaphrodite. There is no calyx
or a very reduced one. The outer flowers’ corolla are single white ligules, 6-9 mm long and 2-3 mm wide.
The tubular flowers’ corolla are smaller, five-lobed and yellow. The androecium is made up of 5 stamens
with the anthers welded in a tubular structure. The gynoecium is inferior, with one locule and only one
seminal primordium. The fruits are brown small achenes, which are normally dispersed by the wind.
Flowering occurs from May to October.
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Chamomile is native to Europe (the Balkans area), north of Africa and west of Asia. It is cultivated in the
whole of America. This plant typically grows in roadsides and uncultivated fields, usually as a weed.
Chamomile cannot endure excessively hot whether, prolonged dryness, or freezing temperatures during
the vegetative period. It is produced at industrial scale in several countries such as Argentina, Germany,
Hungary and Yugoslavia.
The part used of chamomile is its flowers.
CHEMISTRY
Flavonoids
Chamomile contains 0.5-3% flavonoids.
Coumarins
The coumarins (0.1%) present in chamomile derive from the cinnamic acid. It is worthy to emphasize the
presence in chamomile of dioxycoumarin, umbelliferone (7-hydroxy coumarin) and its methyl ester
herniarin. The two later compounds are lactones of the O-hydroxycinnamic acid with hydroxyl
substituents in position 7.
Essential oil
The essential oil content of chamomile varies between 0.2 and 1.8%. The main active compounds in this
essence are:
•
•
•
•
Azulene (26-46%)
Sesquiterpenes
This essence contains about 50% sesquiterpenes including (-)-α-bisabolol, the α-bisabolol
oxides A and B, bisabolone oxide, cis- and trans-en-yn-dicycloether (up to 25%) and
spathulenol.
Sesquiterpene lactones
Matricin, matricarin and de-acethylmatricarin
Terpene hydrocarbons
Farnesene, cadinene, cis-spiroether and trans- spiroether.
Other active principles
Mucilaginous polysaccharides (10%), valerianic acid, tannins, ascorbic acid, fatty acids, salicylic acid,
stigmasterol-derived steroids, phenolic acids, angelic acid, bitter principle (anthemic acid), xyloglucurans,
mineral salts (8-10%), triacontane and phytosterin (resin).
TRADITIONAL USES
Chamomile infusion has been, and still is, used in the popular medicine as a diuretic, antispasmodic,
digestive (eupeptic and antiflatulent), anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, ocular decongestant and
emenagogue.
Besides the medicinal uses, chamomile is also used to flavour vermouth.
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Lime tree
BOTANY
Tilia platyphyllos Scop. (=Tilia grandifolia Ehrh.) is commonly known as Large Leaved Lime or Large
Leaved Linden. It is a deciduous tree that belongs to the Tiliaceae family. This tree grows between 15
and 40 meters tall. The trunk is straight and robust; the leaves are cordate at the base and sharply
acuminate to the apex, margins serrate, with petioles and palmate veins on the underside. Flowers are
pentamerous, aromatic, yellow, clustered in erect or drooping cymes composed of 2 to 10 flowers; the
sepals easily detach from the flower, the petals are narrow, spatulate, with fine veins; the stamens are
generally clustered in groups of 5.
The inflorescence axis bears a yellowish-green, membranous, leaf-like bract, welded approximately to
the middle of the mid-vein. Flowers appear during the summer. The fruit is a globose achene with the
appearance of an indehiscent capsule, with five ribs.
Most of the Tilia species are native to boreal-temperate regions.
The part used of lime tree is its flowers.
CHEMISTRY
Flavonoids
Lime Tree inflorescences contain 1% flavonoids, particularly heterosides with quercetin (rutoside,
hyperoside, quercitroside and isoquercitroside) and with kaempferol (tiliroside, astragalin)
Mucilages
Mucilage can be found in about 3-10% proportions. The main polysaccharides are those of the
arabinogalactan type.
Condensed tannins
Tannins can be found in a 2% proportion.
Other active principles
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Phenylcarboxylic acids (derivatives of the cinnamic and benzoic acids: caffeic, chlorogenic and pcoumarinic acids), traces of essential oil (0.02%), gum, manganese salt, amino acids (alanine, cysteine,
cystine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and serine), saponin, tocopherol and proanthocyanidin.
TRADITIONAL USES
Lime Tree inflorescences have traditionally been used to prepare infusions with mild sedative properties
on the central nervous system. Lime Tree has also been attributed choleretic, antispasmodic and
vasodilator properties, which have been used to treat migraine and hepatobiliar conditions.
COSMETIC PROPERTIES
Transepidermal water loss (TEWL) regulatory activity
This activity of Polyplant Emollient is due to its mucilage content.
Mucilages are hygroscopical substances, namely they absorb and retain water. Because of their large
size, these substances remain on the stratum corneum surface, where they have moisturizing and
filmogenic effects that remarkably improve the skin biomechanical properties.
Moisturizing agents contribute to the stratum corneum flexibility, facilitate scaling by acting on the
corneodesmosomes, and may also influence the lipids responsible for the barrier function of the stratum
corneum.
Active compounds with filmogenic effects include a variety of cosmetic actives, all of them with a
common characteristic: they are macromolecules that remain on the stratum corneum surface, retain
water and improve the barrier properties.
Therefore, Polyplant Emollient is highly recommendable to formulate cosmetic products with moisturizing
and soothing actions.
Finally, we should mention that the publication Plants preparations used as ingredients of cosmetic
products. Vol I.( Council of Europe, 1994) has monographs of the plant species included in Polyplant
Emollient where it is mentioned the following:
Hamamelis virginiana L.
There are 2 monographs: one for the hydroalcoholic dry extract and the glycolic extract and another for
the distilled water. The intended cosmetic effects and recommended maximum concentrations in
cosmetics products are the following:
Hydroalcoholic dry extract, glycolic extract:
•
•
astringent, soothing, “anticouperose”
1-2% dry extract
2-5% glycolic extract
in tonics for mucosae and skin, soothing products, astringent preparations for minor capillary
problems (“couperose”)
other possible effects: haemostatic, venous vasoconstrictor, vasoprotector
Distsilled water:
•
•
astringent, soothing, antiirritant, “anticouperose”
up to 50% in facial tonics, after shaves,
products for sensitive and inflamed mucosae and skins
other possible effects: haemostatic, veinous vasoconstrictor
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Malva sylvestris L.
Monograph on the hydroalcoholic mild extract and the glycolic extract of M.sylvestris flowers and leaves,
which mentions the following cosmetic effects:
•
•
calming, soothing, demulcent
up to 10% of the glycolic extract
up to 2% of the mild extract in sensitive and delicate skin products, bath and shower products,
mouth wash
other possible effects: anti-irritation, emollient and vessel-protection
Matricaria chamomilla
Monograph on the hydroalcoholic dry extract, glycolic extract and oil tincture of M.chamomilla where the
following cosmetic effects are attributed to them:
•
•
soothing, anti-iching, refreshing, purifying, hair bleaching
up to 10% glycolic extract and oil tincture
up to 5 % dry extract
in baths, showers, lotions and creams for delicate skins and mucosae, hair bleaching products.
other possible effects: granulation promoting agent, anti-irritant, antiseptic
Tilia spp.
Monograph on the hydroalcoholic dry extract, glycolic extract an d oil tincture of the flowers of Tilia spp.
The intended cosmetic effects are the following:
•
smoothing, soothing, relaxant, refreshing.
1% dry extract
up to 10% glycolic extract and oil tincture
in products for babies and for delicate skins, bath and showers, personal hygiene products,
delicate shampoos
•
other possible effects are: mild-sedative, anti-inflammatory, emollient, vaso-protector
COSMETIC APPLICATIONS
Action
TWEL regulation
Active
Mucilages
Cosmetic Application
-Moisturizing
-Emollient
-Soothing
RECOMMENDED DOSE
The recommended dose is between 0.5% and 5.0%.
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Bruneton J. Farmacognosia. Zaragoza: Ed. Acribia, 2001; p: 388-90 (651*1 BRU).
Council of Europe. Plants preparations used as ingredients of cosmetic products. Strasbourg Cedex:
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Deters A. et al. High molecular compounds (polysaccharides and proanthocyanidins) from Hamamelis
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Lime tree
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Spignoli G. Protective effects of dietary flavonoids on cardiovascular system and circulation. European
Bulletin of Drug Research, 2000; 8 (1): 1-8.
Xie LP. et al. Inhibitory Effects of Some Flavonoids on the Activity of Mushroom Tyrosinase.
Biochemistry (Moscow), 2002; 68 (4): 487-491.
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