Ingredient Library
Beet Extract
A natural history
Beet extract is pressed from the humble sugar beet, Beta vulgaris, the same root that sweetens so much of the world. It carries the plant's natural store of betaine, a gentle little molecule that was first discovered in the eighteen hundreds in this very beet and named after it.
In nature, betaine is what living things reach for to keep from drying out. Plants and cells gather it as a protective osmolyte, a substance that helps them hold on to water and stay steady through stress and drought. Skin care borrows exactly that gift, using beet extract as a soft, comforting humectant.
What it does for your skin
Beet extract is a natural source of betaine, a humectant and osmolyte that helps skin draw and hold water. In a controlled study, soaps made with betaine were the least irritating of those tested, pointing to its soothing character.[1] In laboratory skin models, betaine is described for its moisturizing and protective qualities.[2] In a formula it is a gentle humectant that helps dry, sensitive skin feel hydrated, soft, and calm.
References
[1] Nicander I, et al. The use of different concentrations of betaine as a reducing irritation agent in soaps. Skin Res Technol. 2003;9(1):43-49. doi:10.1034/j.1600-0846.2003.00362.x
[2] Rauhala L, et al. The organic osmolyte betaine induces keratin 2 expression in UVB irradiated organotypic 3D cultures. Toxicol In Vitro. 2015;30(1 Pt B):462-475. doi:10.1016/j.tiv.2015.09.015