Cosmetic consumers can be forgiven the impulse to scream when
faced with breathless ads for the latest "miracle cream."
Screaming would be an extreme but understandable response to the
trail of broken promises left by myriad over-hyped cosmetics. In the
case of cosmetic claims for chamomile, skepticism fades in the face
centuries of tradition and scads of scientific tests. The cosmetic
uses of chamomile date back at least 2,000 years, when upper class
Egyptian women like Cleopatra crushed the petals of the flower to
beautify and protect their skin from harsh, dry weather. Germans
refer to chamomile as "alles zutraut," or "good for
anything." In fact, chamomile is sometimes called "German
ginseng," because of its versatile role in central European
herbal healing. Chamomile tea is justly famous as a safe relaxant,
digestive aid and treatment for children's ailments such as
colic and teething pains. Whole chamomile flowers and extracts have
an entirely different chemical makeup and set of uses, including
impressive wound healing, cancer-inhibiting and skin smoothing and
conditioning powers. The Cosmetic Power of Camomile
Over the
last 40 years, chamomile has been the subject of hundreds of
scientific tests that have confirmed its healing, cosmetic powers
and revealed its active ingredients, levomenol, azulenes and
flavonoids. Of the two main species of chamomile, Roman and German,
Matricaria chamomilla, German chamomile, is by far the
richest in levomenol, which dramatically improves the texture of
skin and reduces fine lines and wrinkles caused by pollution, stress
and sun. Chamomile's flavonoids possess well documented
antioxidant properties, which protect skin from the UV rays and the
ravages of free radicals in the air. Chamomile's skin-restoring
properties are most effective when all of its active components are
combined in a whole extract that contains guaranteed amounts of
each. Laboratory
Evidence
A patented
chamomile extract (Camillosan) used in Camocare products was
clinically tested by dermatologists at the University of Bonn,
Germany, who reported that it reduces the appearance of lines and
wrinkles. Camillosan also features a standardized form of alpha
lipoic acid, an extraordinarily powerful antioxidant that protects
against free radicals, which are destructive molecules in the
invisibly polluted air that surrounds us. |
