Assessment on potential toxic and side effects of raw materials in Chinese materia medica cosmetics / 中草药

ABSTRACT

Chinese materia medica (CMM) cosmetics are made of natural CMM or by adding CMM or its active ingredients into the chemical compound matrices. They are increasingly favored by consumers all over the world due to the facts that they are guided by traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) theory, as well as are green, natural, safe, and reliable. But, not all natural CMM cosmetics are absolutely safe. This paper summarizes the toxic and side effects of some raw materials in CMM cosmetics, which are classified to skin-irritation, photo-toxicity, and the accumulation of toxic like renal toxicity, liver toxicity, neurotoxicity, and so on. This review will provide the references for the proper use of natural raw materials in CMM cosmetics to ensure the safety of consumers.