Mate leaf
Ilex Paraguariensis Leaf Extract
A South American holly — not a tea — carrying the same family of antioxidants as coffee.
Yerba mate is the leaf South Americans steep for the drink of the same name, and it is a holly, not a tea plant. What makes it interesting on skin is its chemistry: it is unusually rich in chlorogenic and caffeic acids, the antioxidant polyphenols better known from coffee, plus a little caffeine.
In a face wash it brings that antioxidant character to a formula for skin that congests and looks dull. It is a rinse-off product, so the contact time is seconds — think of it as part of what makes the wash feel fresh and clarifying, not as a treatment left on the skin.
The evidence is preclinical: an antioxidant extract that behaved well on cells and calmed the skin's response to light exposure in an animal model. No human trial yet.
The study
Laboratory studyA mate extract standardised to chlorogenic and caffeic acids showed strong antioxidant activity without harming skin cells, and in mice the topical formulation reduced two markers of light-induced inflammation.
Cuelho CHF, Alves GAD, Lovatto MO, et al. Topical formulation containing Ilex paraguariensis extract increases metalloproteinases and myeloperoxidase activities in mice exposed to UVB radiation. Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B, 2018;189:95–103. PubMed 30317053
Research on the ingredient, not a test of any FOUNDER product. Cosmetic benefits only, and skin varies. These are cosmetics, not medicine.
