Purple root
■About this ingredient
It is made from the dried roots of the perennial plant "Murasakia japonica," which is found in China, Korea, and Japan.
It is included under the name "Zi Cao" in the Shennong Ben Cao Jing, China's last book on pharmacopoeias.
There are two types of safflower root: hard safflower root, which is used in Japanese and Chinese medicine, and soft safflower root, which is mainly used as a dye.
Dyeing using safflower was introduced to Japan by Japanese envoys sent to the Sui dynasty.
Cultivation of murasaki began in Japan during the Nara period, but because purple was a noble color permitted only for the emperor and aristocrats, it was strictly controlled.
Meanwhile, a famous medicine using "Shikon" was created in the late Edo period. "Shiunko", an external medicine invented by the famous surgeon Hanaoka Seishu, is an ointment containing Shikon and lard oil.
Currently, safflower root extract and shikonin are included in the standards for raw materials for quasi-drugs, and attention is being paid to their effectiveness in preventing rough skin and improving firmness and elasticity.
Nippon Olive uses purple root, and the ingredient name in its cosmetics is "purple root extract (natural moisturizing ingredient)."
*Currently, murasaki is designated as an endangered species in Japan and is said to be a phantom medicinal herb.
Natural moisturizing ingredient "Murasaki root extract"
This extract is obtained from the root of the Japanese herb "Murasaki" (Licorice) or "Shikon."
The extract is bright red or royal purple in color.
It is a highly moisturizing ingredient that helps maintain healthy skin.