Chamomile
Chamomilla Recutita (Matricaria) Flower Extract
The oldest calming ingredient in the book, and one of the few with a proper trial behind it.
Chamomile flower extract has been used on skin for as long as there has been skin to put it on. Its active constituents — bisabolol and the chamazulene that gives the oil its blue colour — are anti-inflammatory in the laboratory, and the feel on skin is exactly what you would expect: soothed, softened, less reactive.
It suits skin that flushes, tightens or simply objects to things. In a cleanser it takes the edge off the wash; in a cream it is the reason the product feels kind.
The study below is unusual for a botanical: a randomised comparison against a low-strength hydrocortisone cream in people with eczema, in which the chamomile cream held its own. That is a medical context, not a cosmetic one — we cite it because it is the best evidence on the ingredient, not because our products treat anything.
The study
Randomised human trialIn a two-week randomised half-side comparison, a chamomile cream showed mild superiority to 0.5% hydrocortisone cream and a marginal difference from its vehicle on medium-grade eczema.
Patzelt-Wenczler R, Ponce-Pöschl E. Proof of efficacy of Kamillosan® cream in atopic eczema. European Journal of Medical Research, 2000;5(4):171–175. PubMed 10799352
Research on the ingredient, not a test of any FOUNDER product. Cosmetic benefits only, and skin varies. These are cosmetics, not medicine.
