Quick answer
Key benefits: Anti-Aging, Dark Spot Fading, Soothing.
Silybum Marianum Extract
Updated
Silybum Marianum Extract is an extract of the seeds and leaves of the Lady’s Thistle, Silybum marianum (L.), Asteraceae
Purpose
Extract from a plant whose many components have pronounced antioxidant and skin-calming ability.
Rating
BEST
Category
Antioxidant, Plant Extracts
INCI Purpose
SKIN CONDITIONING
Benefits
Alternative Names
At a Glance
Article
Silymarin marianum extact comes from a plant whose many components, primarily a flavanolignan chemical known as silymarin, have pronounced antioxidant and skin-calming ability. Silymarin occurs in milk thistle fruit and seeds, and helps shield skin from the visible effects of UV light exposure (of course, you still need a broad spectrum sunscreen).
Silymarin also has research on its role in interrupting pathways in skin that lead to discolorations on skin’s surface, while that and other compounds in milk thistle seem, at least in a lab setting, to have an inhibitory effect on enzymes that degrade collagen. In short, it’s an impressive antioxidant to see in skin care products, particularly those that address environmental stressors.
See: Silybum Marianum Fruit Extract, Silybum Marianum Seed Oil
References