Three possible cosmetic applications for medicinal plant family Eupatorium

A research team out of Indonesia, Putri et al., recently published a review in Cosmetics of the potential of using extracts from the Eupatorium plant family. 

According to the team, there are up to 60 varieties of Eupatorium plants, many of which are used medicinally around the world. Putri et al said different species may have antifungal, antibacterial, pain-relieving and anticancer effects, among others.

One species of Eupatorium is reportedly used in traditional medicines for cleaning and treating wounds, as well as treating malaria, intestinal illness, fever, toothache, skin illnesses, diabetes and diarrhea.

Other species are used in Mexico, Japan, Korea and China to treat other ailments.

“With all of these advantages, Eupatorium plants have the potential to be applied in cosmetics,” ​Putri et al. said. “However, only a few published works have investigated the application of Eupatorium plants for cosmetic agents.”​

Putri et al. reviewed applications of Eupatorium plants and found three potential areas for cosmetics.

Antioxidant activity

In their review, Putri et al found that some species of Eupatorium show promise in antioxidant activity which could be linked to the presence of phenolic compounds and flavonoids. 

Antioxidants are currently the primary active mechanism in anti-aging formulation, as they address radical oxygen species which can increase the symptoms of skin aging.

Additionally, one form of Eupatorium shows promise to protect products from UVA radiation during storage, which Putri et al connect to the impact of sun exposure on skin health.

Anti-inflammatory

Putri et al. said some species of Eupatorium show anti-inflammatory properties. Anti-inflammatory properties can be important in skincare for treating conditions like dermatitis, eczema and psoriasis, among others.

Previous studies have looked into using some species to create non-cosmetic products based on their anti-inflammatory properties.

They also said studies have shown one species has in vitro and in vivo (in mice) anti-inflammatory activities. One aqueous extract showed multiple pharmaceutical properties including anti-inflammatory.

Anti-acne

The review looked at studies measuring the anti-acne properties of Eupatorium species like antimicrobial and antibacterial effects.

Putri et al. said several Eupatorium species appeared to inhibit the growth of acne-causing bacteria P. acnes and S. aureus 

Generally speaking, Putri et al. found that extracts containing phenol and triterpenes have more effective antimicrobial activities than those without.

Title: "A Mini Review: The Application of Eupatorium Plants as Potential Cosmetic Ingredients"​

Author: Putri et al.​

Source: Cosmetics 2022, 9(5), 103; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics9050103​