Bioactive cosmetics

Abstract

Cosmetics are products intended for application on the skin and hair, with the aim of cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness, or improving the appearance. Among the active ingredients usually used in this type of preparation, there is a worldwide trend of incorporating vegetable source products due to their commercial appeal, safety, and rich composition, which is frequently associated with a synergistic or multifunctional effect. Botanical extracts are rich in secondary metabolites that occur in plants in a high structural diversity. Phenolic compounds, substances structurally characterized by having one or more hydroxyls attached to an aromatic ring, are classified into simple phenolics and polyphenols, which may be subdivided into tannins and flavonoids. Both flavonoids and non-flavonoids are associated with various interesting cosmetic properties like photoprotection, antiaging, moisturizing, antioxidant, astringent, anti-irritant, and antimicrobial activity. In this chapter, the most promising phenolic compounds for use in cosmetic formulations will be presented and discussed.