aloe

A tropical plant that has thick heavy leaves which produce a thick liquid used in medicines, cosmetics. A genus of over 500 species, flowering succulent plants. The most widely known is Aloe vera, or 'true aloe'. It is cultivated as the standard source of so-called 'aloe vera' for assorted pharmaceutical purposes. Other species, such as Aloe ferox, also are cultivated or harvested from the wild for similar applications. Native to Africa; species are found in southern Africa, the mountains of tropical Africa, various islands off the coast of Africa including Sardinia, Madagascar, and the Arabian Peninsula. Widely cultivate world wide now.

allantoin

A crystalline oxidation, C4H6N4O3, of uric acid used to promote healing of local wounds and infections. Allantoin is present in botanical extracts of the comfrey plant and in the urine of most mammals. Synthesized bulk allantoin, is chemically equivalent to natural allantoin, safe, non-toxic, compatible with cosmetic raw materials and meets CTFA and JSCI requirements. Cited beneficial effects for allantoin are active ingredient in over-the-counter cosmetics, including: a moisturizing and keratolytic effect, increasing the water content of the extracellular matrix and enhancing the desquamation of upper layers of dead skin cells, increasing the smoothness of the skin; promoting cell proliferation and wound healing; and a soothing, anti-irritant, and skin protectant effect by forming complexes with irritant and sensitizing agents.

tocopherol

Tocopherols are a class of chemical compounds, which many have vitamin E activity. A series of organic compounds consisting of various methylated phenols. alpha-Tocopherol is the main source found in supplements and in the European diet, where the main dietary sources are olive and sunflower oils, while gamma-tocopherol is the most common form in the American diet due to a higher intake of soybean and corn oil. Tocotrienols, which are related compounds, also have vitamin E activity. All of these various derivatives with vitamin activity may correctly be referred to as 'vitamin E'. Tocopherols and tocotrienols are fat-soluble antioxidants but also seem to have many other functions in the body.