Wild thyme (Thymus serpillum (serpyllum)) to help improve skin tone

We use a botanical extract of wild thyme, that has very much the same properties as its more well known cousin, Thymus vulgaris - known as Thyme or garden thyme. Wild thyme is used topically on the skin, as it is a great antioxidant, while at the same time helping to improve skin tone and providing good astringent qualities. It is also a powerful antifungal and antiviral agent – helping to keep your skin in tip-top condition.

Wild thyme is used in the following product: Rejuvenating Toner

On this page

• Description of wild thyme
• Use of wild Thyme
• Compounds found in wild Thyme
• Cosmetic classification of wild Thyme

Description of wild Thyme

Wild thyme originated in western and northern Europe (up to the Ukraine) and is a low, usually prostrate subshrub growing to 2 cm tall, with creeping stems up to 10 cm long. It has oval evergreen leaves 3-8 mm long. The strongly scented flowers are lilac, pink-purple, magenta, or a rare white, all 4-6 mm long and produced in clusters. The leaves and the dried flower heads are used.

Compounds found in wild Thyme

The triterpenic acids are characteristic of Thyme (ursolic and oleanolic acids) as well as caffeic acid, the flavonoids luteolin or tetrahydroxy-5,7,3'.4'-favone and its glucosides and triterpenic saponins.

The essential oil makes up 1-2% of the dry plant and is rich in thymol and carvacrol, with smaller amounts of linalool, p-cymene, thujan-4-ol and pinene. It is rich in labiate tannins as well as several polymethoxyflavones, triterpenes and polysaccharides. The total proportion of phenols varies from 20% to 70% depending on the species (thymol and its isomer carvacrol). It also contains precursors of synthesis (g-terpinene, p-cymene).

Use of wild Thyme

Although often used internally for gastrointestinal disturbances as well as the treatment of cough, colds, bronchitis and inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, it has a powerful effect on the skin when applied topically.

In folk medicine it is often used to treat minor wounds and to treat inflammation, but it also has potent antioxidant properties ^{REF 446 & 450}

The thymol contained in the extract has been shown in studies to have great antifungal properties ^{REF 447} and furthermore has good antiseptic and astringent qualities, while also toning the skin.

In another test, it was shown that the extract had a very potent effect on viral infections and was shown to contain valuable antiviral properties. ^{REF 448}

At the Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, a study was done on the effect of an ethanol extracts from Thymus quinquecostatus Celak (Thymus serpyllum L. subsp. quinquecostatus (Celak.) Kitam) - which showed that the ethyl acetate fraction is the major anti-tumor fraction - and proved to have good anti-tumor properties. ^{REF 449}

Cosmetic classification

According to the CTFA it is classified as a biological product used in moisturizing products.