I’m embarrassed to say as a skincare junkie that, for way too long, I was of the belief that marshmallow was the fun-to-say name of the puffy s’more guts I loved to eat as a kid. I had no idea that not only was it the name of the ingredient, but that marshmallow has been used for centuries as a healing and anti-inflammatory remedy. Now is your turn to learn why marshmallow root extract is pretty much the jam in skin care!
Where Does It Come From?
The marshmallow herb comes from the Althaea plant native to Northern Africa, Europe, and Western Asia. It contains a thick gel-like substance called mucilage (the vegetarian version of snail mucin, is one way to think of it) as well as polysaccharides and flavonoids.
What Does It Do For Your Skin?
This phenomenal anti-ager is pretty much the savior for sensitive skin types. It reduces fine lines, soothes, hydrates, protects your skin and generally boost skin’s health. The mucilage in this extract has plumping and barrier-protecting properties that are a great avenue for moisture—which makes it a multitalented and over-achieving ingredient for those anti-aging benefits mentioned above. Not to mention that, when you treat dehydrated skin with fine lines using a soothing anti-inflammatory and hydrating ingredient, your skin can better protect itself and rebuild.
If you are not convinced yet, here’s more: Marshmallow extract is a great ingredient for treating eczema, psoriasis, rosacea and other topical skin issues (burns and insect bites, too).
Where Can You Find It?
You’ll often find it in lots of natural beauty brands and K-beauty is not an exception. E Nature uses marshmallow root extract in lots of its products like the Marshmallow Cleansing Foam, which is super gentle and hydrating while cleansing your skin thoroughly.
Beyond Skincare
Marshmallow extract is also used in hair care products, since its moisturizing and plumping properties give a volumizing effect while leaving a slip that makes hair feel smoother (thanks, mucilage). It’s an ingredient for treatment shampoos that address irritated scalp issues too, since it has soothing properties. For natural beauty buffs, this is a way better frizz-fighter than silicones, which is the traditional ingredient in smoothing products (but can lead to build-up and limp volume overall).
What it comes down to is that marshmallow root extract is such a great beauty ingredient because it’s a balancer. Considering that lots of skin concerns stem from an imbalance, addressing it with gentle soothing ingredients to bring your skin to a happy calm state.