HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA EXTRACT

📋 Quick facts

Quick Facts:

• Category: other
• Also Known As: 玫瑰茄（HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA）提取物

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Hibiscus sabdariffa extract comes from the calyxes (the leafy part) of the hibiscus plant
• In lab studies, it protected skin cells from damage caused by phenanthrene, a toxic compound
• The protection worked by reducing reactive oxygen species (harmful free radicals) in cells
• Research is limited to lab-based cell studies so far—human skin effects remain unclear

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Hibiscus sabdariffa (HS) extract has been studied for its potential to defend skin cells against phenanthrene (Phe), an environmental pollutant linked to skin ageing. In a 2022 study published in Nutrients, researchers exposed human skin cells called keratinocytes to phenanthrene and pretreated some cells with HS extract to see what would happen. #1: The extract reduced cell damage. When skin cells were exposed to phenanthrene alone, they died or became dysfunctional. Pretreatment with HS extract for 6 hours before phenanthrene exposure restored cell viability and prevented the toxic cascade (Nutrients, 2022). #2: It lowered harmful free radicals. Phenanthrene exposure triggers the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)—unstable molecules that damage cells.

HS extract reduced this ROS production, which is one way it protected the cells (Nutrients, 2022). #3: It restored cellular energy function. Phenanthrene damages the mitochondrial membrane potential (the energy-producing capacity of cell powerhouses). HS extract helped restore this function (Nutrients, 2022). #4: It works through specific molecular pathways. The protective effect occurred by inhibiting an enzyme called CYP1A1 and blocking certain receptor proteins (CAR/PXR/RXR) that phenanthrene activates. Computer docking studies confirmed that bioactive compounds in HS can bind to and deactivate these targets (Nutrients, 2022). Important limitation: this research was conducted in isolated skin cells in a lab dish, not in living human skin.

The phenanthrene dose used (250 μM) is also higher than typical environmental exposure. Whether HS extract offers real-world skin protection in humans remains unknown, as no human clinical trials are referenced in these sources.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Malar DS et al. (2022). Hibiscus sabdariffa Extract Protects HaCaT Cells against Phenanthrene-Induced Toxicity through the Regulation of Constitutive Androstane Receptor/Pregnane X Receptor Pathway. Nutrients.

🧴 Products Containing HIBISCUS SABDARIFFA EXTRACT

• L’OREAL NORGE AS Excellence 5.5 Lys Mahognibrun
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Excellence 6 MørkeBlond
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Excellence 8.3 Lys Gyldenblond
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Excellence 7 Blond
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Excellence 4 Brun
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Excellence 8 Lysblond
• L’OREAL NORGE AS Excellence 5 Lysebrun