Botanical ingredients are one of the main sources of materials that are used in the cosmetics and pharmaceutical industries. Recent years have seen increasing interest in dermocosmetics and cosmeceuticals produced from plant materials, and thus, there has been greater interest in plant-based products with skin care properties. Plant materials can be applied topically for skin care purposes, as well as for the treatment of numerous skin diseases
[2] (
Figure 1). Their advantage is that they are gentle but effective, safe and non-toxic, without side effects. Cosmetics fortified with bioactive compounds are ideally suited to the needs of the skin and are more environmentally friendly than conventional cosmetics. A group of natural ingredients widely used in cosmetics is plant extracts, which are a rich source of biologically active substances significantly affecting human skin. They may exhibit a wide range of properties, both medicinal (in certain skin disorders, including inflammatory disorders such as acne, psoriasis or atopic dermatitis) and for use in skin care (e.g., antioxidant, antibacterial, astringent, moisturizing, regenerating, cleansing, smoothing or lightening)
[3][4]. Plant extracts are obtained via extraction from various parts of raw plants, e.g., using an appropriately chosen solvent, such as water, ethyl alcohol, glycerine, glycols or vegetable oil. Plant extracts are obtained from whole plants or parts of plants (fruits, leaves, roots, bark, stems, branches, seeds or flowers). The composition and properties of plant extracts, which can be found in the formulas of natural cosmetics, depend on a variety of factors, including cultivation and harvest conditions, how and to what extent the material is broken up, or drying and extraction methods. Extracts from whole plants as well as individual chemical substances contained in them are used in cosmetics. Active plant substances are divided into primary and secondary metabolites. The former are basic substances that are essential to the plant for life, constituting building materials and energy sources. They include sugars, fats, proteins, amino acids and enzymes. Secondary metabolites include terpenes, steroids, saponins, tannins, alkaloids, volatile oils, resins, vitamins and phenolics
[1][4].