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| January 25,
2005 Volume 1, Issue 1 online at http://www.topical-formulations.com/ |
Sponsored
by Elsom Research Innovative Biotechnologies “Where Nature, Science, and Art Combine” |
Join our discussion forum on Topics in Topicals as related to acne and rosacea, scalp care, skin aging, wrinkles, diabetes, and cancer. |
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An
Online Journal on -
Formulation
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What Does It Mean? Reading the labels of natural
products, or perhaps browsing among the herbs in a nursery, you might notice
that the names of many seemingly-unrelated plants end in "officinalis": Rosmarinus
officinalis (rosemary), Smilax officinalis (sarsaparilla), Calendula
officinalis (marigold), Melissa officinalis (sweet balm),
and many other herbs used in topical formulations follow this naming pattern. What
does it mean? Plants carry the name "officinalis" to indicate that they are of a variety
that an apothecary would be expected to keep on hand, in the officinal (Medieval
Latin for "storeroom" or "workshop"), to use in formulation. The name is a
reminder that this plant has a traditional medical
use. Many of these plants exist in a large number of varieties; in this case,
only the "officinalis" species is the one traditionally used by apothecaries. |
In
this issue:
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