Vetiver Essential Oil in Cosmetics: What Is New?

Pauline Burger,Xavier Fernandez,Marie Watson,Stéphane Azoulay,Marie Kempf,Viviane Cassisa,Laurent Janci,Anne Landreau

doi:10.3390/medicines4020041

Abstract

Background: Vetiver is a key ingredient for the perfume industry nowadays. However, with the constant and rapid changes of personal tastes, this appeal could vanish and this sector could decline quite quickly. New dissemination paths need to be found to tap this valuable resource. Methods: In this way, its potential use in cosmetics either as an active ingredient per se (with cosmeceutical significance or presenting antimicrobial activity) has hence been explored in vitro. Results: In this contribution, we demonstrated that vetiver essential oil displays no particularly significant and innovative cosmetic potential value in formulations apart from its scent already largely exploited. However, evaluated against twenty bacterial strains and two Candida species using the in vitro microbroth dilution method, vetiver oil demonstrated notably some outstanding activities against Gram-positive strains and against one Candida glabrata strain. Conclusions: Based on these findings, vetiver essential oil appears to be an appropriate aspirant for the development of an antimicrobial agent for medicinal purposes and for the development of a cosmetic ingredient used for its scent and displaying antimicrobial activity as an added value.

Highlights

Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty (formerly known as Vetiveria zizanioides (Linn.) Nash), commonly known as vetiver is a perennial bunchy herbaceous species of the Poaceae family that develops at altitudes up to 2000 m in almost every soil type, well-drained sand is considered the most appropriate subsoil for its growth [1,2]
An organoleptic static evaluation of the three vetiver essential oil (EO) was performed by a perfumer
Being the cornerstone of the economy of some vetiver EO-producing countries, new dissemination pathways of this grass EO were investigated in this article

Summary

Introduction

Chrysopogon zizanioides (L.) Roberty (formerly known as Vetiveria zizanioides (Linn.) Nash), commonly known as vetiver is a perennial bunchy herbaceous species of the Poaceae family that develops at altitudes up to 2000 m in almost every soil type, well-drained sand is considered the most appropriate subsoil for its growth [1,2]. The stems being stiff, vetiver tufted grass can attain up to 2 m height [2]. Native to India, vetiver was disseminated around the world some 100 years ago and is since widely cultivated in tropical regions for many different purposes (current major producers include Haiti, India, Indonesia, and Reunion Island) [2,3]. Vetiver is considered in several folk medicines as an alexiteric agent, e.g., a preservative against poisons and venoms: a paste of fresh roots is advocated against snakebites and scorpion stings [1]. New dissemination paths need to be found to tap this valuable resource

Methods

Results

Conclusion