Natural ingredients have been used for centuries for skin treatment and care. Interest in the health effects of plants has recently increased due to their safety and applicability in the formulation of pharmaceuticals and cosmetics. Long-known plant materials as well as newly discovered ones are increasingly being used in natural products of plant origin. This review highlights the beneficial effects of plants and plant constituents on the skin, including moisturizing (e.g., Cannabis sativa, Hydrangea serrata, Pradosia mutisii and Carthamus tinctorius), anti-aging (e.g., Aegopodium podagraria, Euphorbia characias, Premna odorata and Warburgia salutaris), antimicrobial (e.g., Betula pendula and Epilobium angustifolium), antioxidant (e.g., Kadsura coccinea, Rosmarinus officinalis, Rubus idaeus and Spatholobus suberectus), anti-inflammatory (e.g., Antidesma thwaitesianum, Helianthus annuus, Oenanthe javanica, Penthorum chinense, Ranunculus bulumei and Zanthoxylum bungeanum), regenerative (e.g., Aloe vera, Angelica polymorpha, Digitaria ciliaris, Glycyrrihza glabra and Marantodes pumilum), wound healing (e.g., Agrimonia eupatoria, Astragalus floccosus, Bursera morelensis, Jatropha neopauciflora and Sapindus mukorossi), photoprotective (e.g., Astragalus gombiformis, Calea fruticose, Euphorbia characias and Posoqueria latifolia) and anti-tyrosinase activity (e.g., Aerva lanata, Bruguiera gymnorhiza, Dodonaea viscosa, Lonicera japonica and Schisandra chinensis), as well as their role as excipients in cosmetics (coloring (e.g., Beta vulgaris, Centaurea cyanus, Hibiscus sabdariffa and Rubia tinctiorum), protective and aromatic agents (e.g., Hyssopus officinalis, Melaleuca alternifolia, Pelargonium graveolens and Verbena officinalis)).
Keywords: anti-aging; anti-tyrosinase; colorants; cosmetics; essential oils; pharmaceutics; photoprotection; plants; skin; wound healing.