Polyphenols are found in oils and other botanical ingredients in five major categories…
- phenolic acids, the derivatives of hydroxycinnamic acid and hydroxybenzoic acid
- hydroxycinnamic acid – caffeic acid, ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid
- hydroxybenzoic acid – vanillic acid, syringic acid, gallic acid
- flavonoids, which include flavones, flavonols, flavanols, flavanone, isoflavones, and anthocyanins (but not Flavour Flav, sadly),
- stilbenes, like resveratrol
- lignans, and
- tannins, like ellagitannin, derived from phenylalanine
They are the structural backbone for most anti-oxidants found in plants, and we can use them in our creations to offer some awesome benefits.
Each one will offer different benefits – tannins will feel astringent, for example.
Polyphenols show up in most of the botanically based ingredients we use in lotion making – hydrosols, essential oils, carrier oils, butters, and so on.
Read more about polyphenols in this post!
And read more about the chemistry of polyphenols in this post!