A nationwide market
survey conducted in the USA has shown that 63% of
the respondents view the presence of the antioxidant
vitamins E and C, in skin care and sun care products,
as important factors in their purchasing decision.
Furthermore, bio-ingredients such as herb extracts have
a growing importance in modern skin care(2). There are
large number of botanical antioxidants, since all plants
need protection if they are to survive from oxidative
stress following UV exposure in the environments
in which they grow. These protective chemical
mechanisms have evolved over the millennia, providing
interesting phytochemicals that can be extracted and
incorporated into cosmetic products for the protection
of human skin. Antioxidant botanicals quench singlet
oxygen and reactive oxygen species such as superoxide
anions, hydroxyl radicals, fatty peroxy radicals and