BOTANICAL EXTRACT
Elder Fruit Extract
Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract
An extract of deep-purple elderberries, naturally rich in anthocyanins and other polyphenols, studied for its antioxidant activity in laboratory studies.
Source
Elderberries
Used for
Antioxidant-focused formulas
How it works
Deep-purple berries, rich in anthocyanins.
Elder (Sambucus nigra) is a hedgerow shrub common across Britain and Europe, known for its creamy flower heads in early summer and the clusters of small, deep-purple berries that follow. The berries get their colour from anthocyanins, a group of polyphenol pigments, and also contain flavonols such as quercetin and rutin.
Laboratory research on a water extract of elder fruit, and a kombucha ferment of it, found both showed antioxidant activity on skin cells and were well tolerated.
Elder fruit extract suits daily use, morning or night, and pairs well with other antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. It's a different material from elder flower extract, which is made from the blossoms.
Laboratory research on a water extract of elder fruit, and a kombucha ferment of it, found both showed antioxidant activity on skin cells and were well tolerated.
Elder fruit extract suits daily use, morning or night, and pairs well with other antioxidants such as vitamin C and vitamin E. It's a different material from elder flower extract, which is made from the blossoms.
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Naturally rich in anthocyanins, the pigments behind the berries' deep colour
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Showed antioxidant activity in a laboratory study on human skin cells
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Well tolerated by skin cells in the same research
Questions
What is elder fruit extract?
It is an extract of the berries of elder, Sambucus nigra. Elderberries are naturally rich in anthocyanins, the deep purple plant pigments, along with other polyphenols and vitamins. In skincare, it is the antioxidant side of that chemistry that research has focused on. (Domínguez et al., 2021; Wójciak et al., 2023)
What does research show about elder fruit extract on skin?
Laboratory research has tested a water extract of elder fruit, and a kombucha ferment of it, on human skin cells. Both showed antioxidant activity, were well tolerated and helped protect the cells from free-radical stress. (Wójciak et al., 2023)
Is elder fruit extract the same as elderflower extract?
No. Both come from the same plant, Sambucus nigra, but they are made from different parts. Elderflower extract uses the blossoms, while elder fruit extract is made from the dark berries that follow, with their very different, anthocyanin-rich chemistry. The two can appear on the same ingredient list, so it is worth checking which part is named. (USDA GRIN Taxonomy; Domínguez et al., 2021)
About the plant
Elder, Sambucus nigra, is native across Europe and into western Asia, the Caucasus and north Africa. (USDA GRIN Taxonomy)
Its small berries are deeply coloured by anthocyanins, and that rich anthocyanin content, together with other polyphenols and vitamins, is what makes elderberry so interesting for skincare. (Domínguez et al., 2021)
Its small berries are deeply coloured by anthocyanins, and that rich anthocyanin content, together with other polyphenols and vitamins, is what makes elderberry so interesting for skincare. (Domínguez et al., 2021)
The research
- Wójciak M, Ziemlewska A, Zagórska-Dziok M, Nizioł-Łukaszewska Z, Szczepanek D, Oniszczuk T, Sowa I. Anti-Inflammatory and Protective Effects of Water Extract and Bioferment from Sambucus nigra Fruit in LPS-Induced Human Skin Fibroblasts. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2023;24(12):10286. PMID: 37373433. (opens in a new tab)
- Domínguez R, Pateiro M, Munekata PES, Santos López EM, Rodríguez JA, Barros L, Lorenzo JM. Potential Use of Elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.) as Natural Colorant and Antioxidant in the Food Industry. A Review. Foods, 2021 (opens in a new tab)
- USDA Agricultural Research Service, GRIN-Global Taxonomy: Sambucus nigra L. (opens in a new tab)
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