Issue link: https://www.ascpskindeepdigital.com/i/942738
66 march/april 2018 FENNEL (Foeniculum Vulgare) Fennel is an aromatic plant typically used for culinary purposes in spice blends and is sometimes consumed as a tea for gastrointestinal distress. Its chemical constituents include phenylpropanoids, monoterpenoids, sesquiterpenes, coumarins, triterpenoids, tannins, flavonoids, and saponins. Fennel is rich in essential oils, and it possesses analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and antioxidant properties. Antioxidants identified in fennel include gallic acid, caffeic acid, ellagic acid, quercetin, and kaempferol. Estrogenic activity in fennel helps keep skin plump and young looking. Extracts from fennel have been shown to improve wound healing by stimulating both epidermal regeneration and granulation tissue. Collagen synthesis was also found to be increased with this extract.6 These effects were due to the compounds limonene and fenchone found in fennel oil. Exposure to UV light promotes photoaging of the skin and hyperpigmentation. Extracts from fennel were shown to inhibit tyrosinase activity and thus block melanin production stimulated by UV light.7 In another study, a cream containing a fennel extract improved skin hydration that was evaluated by transepidermal water loss (TEWL). Skin roughness was also reduced when compared to a control group that used a similar cream without the fennel extract.8