Anise

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.

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