Ingredient Library
Anise
Pimpinella anisum
Anise is an aromatic seed oil traditionally used to tone and refresh skin. Reviving and warming, it suits dull and combination skin.
A natural history
Anise (Pimpinella anisum) is one of the oldest spices in the written record, beloved in the ancient Mediterranean, where the Romans served spiced anise seed cakes at the close of rich feasts and weddings, a custom often called a distant ancestor of the wedding cake.
What it does for your skin
Anise seed oil is dominated by the sweet aromatic compound anethole and showed antioxidant, free radical scavenging activity in laboratory testing.[1] In a formula it lends a soothing, aromatic touch and a sweet, licorice like note. Its evidence is largely laboratory based, and it is used gently and well diluted.
References
[1] Fitsiou E, et al. Phytochemical profile and biological activities of essential oils from Greek aromatic plants including Pimpinella anisum. Molecules. 2016;21(8):1069. doi:10.3390/molecules21081069
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
Anise seed oil is rich in the aromatic compound anethole and showed antioxidant activity in lab testing, lending a gentle, soothing, aromatic touch in a formula.
It adds a soothing, sweet, licorice-like note along with antioxidant character, and is used gently and well diluted.
Used at a low level within a finished formula, as in ours, it is gentle. Essential oils like anise are meant to be blended, not applied neat.
You'll find anise in our Mineralized Body Oil.