Nettle ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is used mainly as a botanical skin- and hair-conditioning extract, often positioned for scalp care, oil-balancing formulas, and soothing leave-on or rinse-off products. It can also add mild astringent character depending on the extraction and concentration.
What does Nettle do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is used mainly as a botanical skin- and hair-conditioning extract, often positioned for scalp care, oil-balancing formulas, and soothing leave-on or rinse-off products. It can also add mild astringent character depending on the extraction and concentration.
Is Nettle clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient is generally well accepted and not a common restricted-list concern. As with many botanicals, the main watchpoints are individual sensitivity, residual extraction solvents, and preservation of water-based extracts.
Is Nettle sustainable?
This material is plant-derived, renewable, and expected to be biodegradable. Its sustainability profile depends on agricultural practices, wild-harvesting controls, and whether the extract is made with lower-impact solvents such as water, glycerin, or ethanol.
Is Nettle COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and can contribute to COSMOS-organic content when organically grown and processed with approved extraction methods. It aligns well with Green Chemistry when made from renewable plant material using benign solvents and low-residue processing.
How does Nettle work chemically?
This material is a complex botanical preparation containing variable mixtures of flavonoids, phenolic acids, minerals, amino acids, and pigments, rather than a single defined molecule. Typical cosmetic use levels are often about 0.1% to 5% depending on extract strength, with stability influenced by solvent system, light exposure, oxidation of phenolic components, and preservation in water-based formulas.
Last updated 2026-05-13