|
An
Online Journal on
Topicals:
-
Formulation
- Processing
- Intra-Dermal and
Trans-Dermal Vehicles
- Nano-Encapsulation
- Nano-Emulsion
- Topical Medicinals
- OTC
- Skincare
- Naturals
- Cosmeceuticals
- NanoBioTech
|
What
Does It Mean?
by Rosemarie
L. Coste
Describing botanical
material usefully in a product label can be a challenge. Even a name
as familiar as "aloe
vera"
can describe a wide range of plant products; processing the same plant
material with steam distillation does not produce the same result as
alcohol extraction, nor does processing
of bark rather than leaves or seeds or roots of the same plant, nor
does applying the same process to plants grown in different climates
or soils. With all that
said, the name of the plant used is all that any consumer
is likely to find listed on the label of any cosmetic or cosmeceutical;
is it possible to make any sense of that information?
 |
The same plant,
as any gardener who has travelled a bit knows, can have many names.
There are often many country
names for
the same plant, sometimes interchangeable with the names of similar
plants in different
regions;
these are the names that non-scientific (but probably very
knowledgeable) gardeners and observers use in describing
to each other plants
in their own neighborhood. "Rose" is a country name;
so are "dog
rose", "rock rose", and "moss rose",
though only one of these would be considered a rose by botanists. |
Because country
names are so variable and inconsistent, botanists rely
on another naming system to clarify the distinction between "rock
rose" (Pavonia
lasiopetala, a relative of hibiscus), "moss rose" (Portulaca
grandiflora,
neither a moss nor a rose but a drought-tolerant annual that flourishes
in intense heat), and "dog
rose" (Rosa
canina,
a rose indeed). This naming system is sometimes called "scientific"
or "botanical" (it is, in that botanists and other scientists
are likely to use it) and sometimes called "Latin" (it is,
in that many but not all of the
words it
uses are
Latin)
and sometimes called Linneaen (it is, in that the system was initiated
by Carl
Linnaeus (1707-1778)), but is most properly called binomial
nomenclature.
Binomial nomenclature,
as you can guess, refers to the use of two-part names, as demonstrated
by the three names for "roses" above. The first part of each
name claims membership in a genus, a large family of
closely-related plants;
in the
case above, it
is clear that Rosa, Portulaca, and Pavonia describe
different genera (plural of genus), so these plants come
from different families and are not close relatives, no matter how
much their colorful
flowers call each other to mind. The second part of the name, the specific
epithet, is meant to identify which member of the family is being
named: the specific epithet names the plant's species.
If the genus is a family name, the species is
a personal name; this works in plant families in the same way it works
in human families, with brothers and sisters sharing a family name
but having unique personal names. For plants, the unique personal names
are created by mentioning anything believed to be unique to
this plant within this
genus:
- a physical
attribute of the plant (grandiflora, the one with
big flowers; macrophylla, the one with large leaves; nana,
the tiny one; flavescens, the yellow one)
- a traditional
understanding of the plant (officinalis,
the one apothecaries use; sativa, the one farmers
cultivate; poeticus, the one poets praise; pseudo-,
the one often mistaken for another)
- a location
in which the plant occurs naturally (Wisteria sinensis, Camellia
sinensis (tea), and Hibiscus rosa-sinensis all indicate an
origin in China)
- a botanist
who recorded or developed the plant (Salvia greggii, Acacia
greggii, Eupatorium greggii, Cereus greggii,
and many others, all honor Josiah
Gregg (1806-1850))
- anything
else descriptive and memorable
|
 |
The binomial
nomenclature is usually a good match for the
International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients (INCI) names. INCI
names should be used on cosmetic
labels, especially on products packaged for international sale, to
reduce the possibility of confusion about exactly what is meant
by the name of a plant; since there are several varieties of Rosa used
in cosmetics,
INCI lists
several species of Rosa;
the one actually used should be listed on the product label.
However, the INCI list brings the problem back to its origin: INCI
approves use of "Rosa canina" on a label
to identify "Extractives and their physically modified derivatives
such as
tinctures, concretes, absolutes, essential oils, oleoresins, terpenes,
terpene- free fractions, distillates, residues, etc., " from that
species; it's still only a very broad hint as to the nature of the
plant material
that may be included in the product.
So what can be
learned from a product label listing a plant's name as an ingredient?
Not much, unless the product manufacturer has gone to a great deal
of trouble beyond the basic requirements of labelling, perhaps by
giving more detail about the plant material in a brochure or on a
website.
Still,
the
names
of
plants
are a great
source of insight into the traditions associated with them, and that
in itself may be a hint about what to expect; what could be more
hopeful than using material from plants named superbus ("the
excellent"), pulchellus ("the beautiful"),
or vera ("the
true")?
For some fun interpreting
the names of your favorite plants, visit the Dictionary
of Botanical Epithets or look for a book such as Botanical Latin
to English Definitions (1993,
The Write Company). For a more thorough study of the binomial
nomenclature,
begin with the Tennessee
Tutorial.
|
In
this issue:
Welcome
to the Journal of Topical Formulations
Feature
Article: Detergents
and Surfactants in Soaps, Shampoos, and Other Cleansers
The Formulator's Bookshelf
What
Does It Mean?
Announcements
Your
opinion counts!
Visit
our forum and
express your opinion or share experience or knowledge on an array of
issues such as scalp care, acne and rosacea, psoriasis, wrinkles, and
the aging process.
|
