Ginkgo Biloba Leaf Extract

An extract of the leaves of the ginkgo tree, one of the oldest surviving tree species. The leaves contain flavonoid glycosides and terpene lactones, which are the compounds most cosmetic interest centres on. CosIng classifies it as a skin conditioning agent. In practice it appears in soothing and antioxidant-positioned formulas, usually as one botanical among several rather than as the ingredient a product is built around.

As a conditioning agent its everyday role is to help skin feel softer and better hydrated, alongside the humectants and emollients it is formulated with. The flavonoids in ginkgo are also antioxidants — they can neutralise free radicals, which are generated in skin by UV exposure and pollution and contribute to visible ageing over time. How much of that translates to a finished cosmetic depends heavily on how the extract was made and how much is present, neither of which is usually disclosed. Ginkgo has been studied more thoroughly as an oral supplement than as a topical, so treat topical c…