Herbs and spices in cosmetics

To Western ears jasmine and gingko biloba may sound exotic. But her in Asia, they're well-known. Indian women often wear jasmine flowers in their hair. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a Chinese woman who hasn't tasted herbal soups with ginseng or a Muslim woman who has never used inai (henna) on her hands and fingers.

Now these traditional Asian herbs and spices are turning up in Western based skincare and cosmetics. So we're finally getting the best of both worlds. For many years Asian flowers like gardenia, jasmine and yiang ylang have formed the core of floral perfumes. But now other Asian herbs like ginger are used for its warm and invigorating fragrance. There's a whole new class of 'green' fragrances such as leaves like bamboo to balance freshness and sensuality.

Plant extracts are used in most creams and lotions to moisturize and nourish, that's nothing new. But what's new is the increasing use of Asian herbs. Ginseng and gingko biloba help stimulate the skin so you look more radiant. Soy, which is high in protein and amino acids, helps to nourish and condition dry skin and hair. Green tea is a powerful anti-oxidant that helps to reduce the effect of wrinkle-causing free-radicals.

Alpha-hydroxy acids found in face cream might come from fruits like lime, papaya and mandarin. Kaolin, also known as Chinese clay, helps combat oily skin. Perhaps the best thing about the increased use of Asian ingredients is that we're getting products specially developed to suit Asian women.