Cosmetics and the Common Plant
Growing plants with a purpose
An extract from the Spring 2001 edition of The Organic Way
Patsy Dyer cannot buy a bottle of shampoo without looking for the botanical ingredients. It all started when she designed a garden to illustrate the use of plants in cosmetics. She tells us about some of the plants she chose.
Pot marigold, or Calendula,
has anti-inflammatory and antiseptic qualities
especially good for burns
When I worked at Oxford Botanic Garden I was in charge of a special group
of 'economic' plants. The beds introduced visitors to the world of Ethnobotany
- the study of the interaction between people and plants. It is especially
concerned with the influence of plants on human culture.
When I was asked to design a new bed for the collection I chose to reflect
an industry which, in America alone, makes over 20 billion dollars a year
in sales: cosmetics.
Cosmetics are not just the things that are traditionally carried in a woman's
handbag. The word ,cosmetic' is of Greek origin and describes anything that
is intended to care for the body, preserve or improve its physical attractiveness,
or disguise defects. The plants I chose had to represent as wide a range of
cosmetics as possible, including toothpaste, aftershave, deodorisers and spot
removers as well as make-up.
The research and design for the bed was both intriguing and addictive. I am
still unable to choose a shampoo or moisturiser without gazing down the list
of contents, seeking out a familiar plant extract or botanical name. My plant
list, which included the perfume oils, contained well over a hundred entries,
gleaned from the bottles, tubes and vials of many of the well-known High Street
shops. I only have the space to mention a very small selection of the 40 plants
that I finally chose.
Anti-dandruff shampoo
The idea of washing one's hair with onions seems ridiculous. However, Allium cepum, the common onion, has been used for this purpose for centuries. The familiar smell originates from a pungent volatile oil and sulphur held within the bulb and leaves. Other important compounds include vitamins B1, B2 and vitamin C. Together, these provide an antibacterial, anti-fungal and disinfectant quality, The sulphur itself acts by reducing excessive sebum secretion and the formation of dandruff.
A naturally hardy biennial plant, the wild onion can be seen in the mountain
regions of Afghanistan, Iran and Turkestan, and is likely to have originated
from western Asia. If allowed to flower, the common onion reaches 90cm (36in)
by the second year. It provides an attractive show of whitish green star-shaped
flowers.
To grow, sow seed indoors during the late winter. Harden the seedlings off
before planting out in the spring. The flowers will develop the following
summer.
Perfume
This is perhaps the most provocative of cosmetics. The use of perfume has been recorded as far back as the ancient Egyptians 5000 years ago. Paintings from the walls of tombs show men sporting hat-like oil cones. These were allowed to melt, slowly covering the whole head and body with the oily perfumes. Perfumes have also been of great importance for religious rituals. Dominican monks opened the first perfume factory in Florence, Italy, in 1608 where they would have made incense. The word perfume itself originates from the Latin, 'per' meaning through, and 'fume' smoke.
One of the plants I chose to represent this cosmetic was the non-hardy lemon verbena, Aloysia triphylla. It is indigenous to Chile and Argentina, where it can reach a height of 3m (10 feet). It will only reach 1-2m (3-6 ft) in British gardens before being cut down by frost. It has pretty, airy pink flowers. Lemon verbena is grown on a large scale in France, Spain, Italy and the former USSR. The leaves contain a volatile oil which is not used simply for its perfume - it has anti-bacterial properties. The distinctive lemony scent can be detected in many cosmetics including soaps, hair oils, brilliantines and lipsticks.
Lemon verbena can be propagated by seed, but I find it preferable to take semi-ripe cuttings in mid-late summer, as you can have scented cuttings in the house over winter. The plant prefers a sunny area with well draining soil. I didn't include a rose in the final design due to lack of space, but it is certainly of great importance in the cosmetic industry. The French rose, Rosa gallica is usually grown to produce oil. From the 5000kg (83331b) of rose petals which will be collected from a hectare (2.47 acres) of land, only 1kg (2.21b) of oil will be produced. Rose oil is used in perfumes such as Chanel No 5.
Moisturising creams
I chose the native marshmallow, Althea officinalis to represent moisturising creams. It was illustrated on the jar of a night-cream sitting on my bathroom shelf at the time. Among other useful compounds, the roots, leaves and flowers contain mucilages.
A mucilage is a complex of carbohydrates, which stabilise and thicken liquids and provide the uniform texture so important in cosmetic creams. Other contents of the mucilage absorb excessive skin secretions and form a protective film over the skin.
The perennial marshmallow is a pretty pink flowering shrub that grows to 2m (6ft 6in). It can be propagated by seed in the spring or divided in the autumn or spring. It prefers well, drained soil and a sunny position.
Chapped skin creams
Some skin may need 'a little extra help'. Gardeners will certainly be familiar
with rough, dry hands after a day's potting and planting.
The familiar Calendula officinalis, or pot marigold, is well known for its
glorious orange flowers. This is a very versatile annual, native to the Mediterranean.
Active substances found in the harvested flowers include traces of volatile
oils, organic acids, salicylic acid of aspirin fame, and yellow and red pigments.
This active complex of substances provides anti-inflammatory and disinfectant
properties which have an important use on damaged tissue such as burns, chapped
skin and chilblains. During the First World War, the well known garden designer
Gertrude Jekyll sent hundreds of bushels of the flowers to France. The soldiers
benefited from the flower's soothing effect on wounds, especially on healed,
but still sore, burns.
To grow this annual, sow seed directly into the ground in the spring or autumn. The pot marigold will happily self-seed. It prefers full sun, and will grow in any garden soil. Less fertile soil will produce more flowers. It reaches 30-45cm, (12-18in).
Rouge
Images of Elizabethan England usually include a pale-faced Queen, sometimes glowing with very unnaturally red, rouged cheeks. In the Court of Louis XIV of France, many of the men donned small discs of red on their cheeks and some took to wearing red lipstick. Much earlier, Roman men and women wore rouge made from a seaweed extract. Today in Kamchatka, the extreme east of the former Soviet Union, women still use a seaweed extract, with fish oil, as rouge.
In Western Europe, the red pigment used was obtained from the root of the native short-lived perennial, Anchusa officinalis, or Alkanet. The word Alkanna is derived from the Arabic for henna, relating to the dye obtained from several plants in the same genus. Records state that Alkanna was once under such demand for its dye that the plant very nearly became extinct.
Alkanet grows to 30-80cm (lft-2ft 8in) and flowers throughout the summer.
Like borage and comfrey, to which it is related, this plant has hairy leaves
with bright blue flowers, although they may sometimes be yellow, violet or
red.
Propagate from seed sown in autumn or spring. Prefers moist soil and light
shade.
Camomile hair rinses are
known to have been
popular with the Vikings
Hair lightening
If you have pale coloured hair you may seek out a shampoo advertised specifically for blondes. You will often see an extract from Chamaemelum nobile, or the common camomile listed on the label. Hair rinses and shampoos containing camomile have been popular for a long time. Its importance was recognised by the Vikings who are known to have used the. flowers to enhance their blonde locks. It was also honoured in their mythology, and was one of the 'sacred herbs' given to the gods by Wodan.
Native to the Mediterranean, this perennial contains a fragrant volatile oil called chamazulene, found in varying degrees in several related species. The oil from this unimposing plant is a clear, bright blue. Chamazulene was first distilled in Frankfurt in the 16th Century and was used for a variety of cosmetic and medicinal purposes.
White flowers appear from late spring to late summer, and the final height is 30cm (1ft). Camomile prefers a sunny position and light soil, rich in humus. It can be propagated by cuttings, plant division or seed.
Patsy Dyer
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