Symphytum officinale*

TL;DR. This ingredient is used as a botanical skin-conditioning extract, mainly for soothing-positioned formulas and comfort claims. It may contribute naturally occurring allantoin, mucilage, and polyphenols, but it is not a preservative or primary active delivery system.

What does Symphytum officinale* do in a cosmetic formula?

This ingredient is used as a botanical skin-conditioning extract, mainly for soothing-positioned formulas and comfort claims. It may contribute naturally occurring allantoin, mucilage, and polyphenols, but it is not a preservative or primary active delivery system.

Is Symphytum officinale* clean?

From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has useful skin-conditioning heritage but carries a clear contaminant caveat because some plant parts can contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids. Better-aligned formulas use supplier documentation showing controlled alkaloid levels, especially for leave-on, lip, or compromised-skin products.

Is Symphytum officinale* sustainable?

This material is a renewable botanical raw material and the extract itself is expected to be biodegradable. Sustainability depends on traceable cultivation, responsible harvesting, and lower-impact extraction systems such as water, glycerin, or ethanol.

Is Symphytum officinale* COSMOS-approved?

It can be permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic when sourced from approved agricultural material and processed with approved solvents, and the asterisk typically signals organic origin. Its Green Chemistry fit is generally favorable due to renewable sourcing and biodegradable chemistry, with the main qualification being contaminant control rather than the base extraction concept.

How does Symphytum officinale* work chemically?

This material is a complex botanical extract rather than a single molecule, with constituents that may include allantoin, mucilaginous polysaccharides, phenolic acids, tannins, and trace pyrrolizidine alkaloids depending on plant part and processing. Typical cosmetic use is often in the 0.1% to 5% range for commercial extracts, with stability driven by the extract solvent system, preservative package, and a mildly acidic to neutral formula pH.

Last updated 2026-05-13