Date Seed Extract (Phoenix dactylifera Seed Extract)

The date palm is a slender palm tree native to regions surrounding the Middle East Persian Gulf. It has been cultivated in ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt for thousands of years for its sweet oval fruit and is mentioned in some of the most ancient texts of this region. Dates have been used medicinally by these cultures for sore throats, colds, and fevers, as the high tannin faction of the fruit has a certain amount of cleansing quality.

The date palm seed kernel is saturated with beneficial compounds for the skin. It contains phytosterols (that fortify skin's barrier function), phytosteroids (most notably isoflavones that that have anti-wrinkle and skin softening effects), ursolic acid (a regenerating compound for the skin), policosanols (which boost the neuro-immune integrity of the skin), tocotrienols (a family of vitamin E compounds that have antioxidant activity), and vitamin A (which has skin regenerating effects by increasing cell division). Clinical studies with date seed extract have shown that it increases collagen type 1 synthesis in the skin, reduces protein carbonylation, decreases lipid peroxidation, and has a rapid anti-wrinkle effect (better than DHEA in lab studies, most likely due to its isoflavone faction).