What are the benefits of bamboo extract for the skin?

Native to the Asian continent, bamboo is recognized as one of the fastest-growing plants in the plant kingdom. It is distinguished by the mineral richness of its sap, particularly in silicon dioxide, a compound that contributes to the structure and cohesion of its supportive tissues. In cosmetics, the bamboo extract is generally derived from the species Phyllostachys pubescens and listed under the INCI designation Phyllostachys Bambusoides Extract. Beyond its silica content, this extract also contains flavones, glycosides, phenolic acids, and amino acids, which confer astringent, antioxidant, and soothing properties, particularly beneficial for oily-prone skin.

Thus, bamboo extract is often included in skincare treatments designed for oily skin.

A clinical study thus investigated the impact of a protocol combining plant extracts, including bamboo extract, on sebum production in 60 young women with mild to moderate acne. The participants were divided into two groups: the first received sonophoresis sessions combining ultrasound with a gel containing green tea extract, bamboo extract, and 5% lactic acid, while the placebo group received only the gel without active ingredients. After five weekly sessions, the results showed a significant reduction in sebum levels and imperfections among the participants in the treated group, suggesting a beneficial effect of the protocol.

These findings must, however, be interpreted with caution. The study evaluates a combined protocol, incorporating various active compounds known for their capacity to target excess sebum and ultrasound, which prevents isolating the effect of the bamboo extract. Furthermore, the observed effect pertains to a short-term measured reduction in sebum, with no data on any sustained effect or on the use of a conventional cosmetic treatment without a sonophoresis device.

Another advantage of bamboo extract: its antioxidant potential, linked to its richness in phenolic compounds. These molecules play a role in neutralizing the oxidative stress, a biological phenomenon characterized by an overproduction of free radicals when cells are exposed to stress factors such as UV radiation, pollution, or smoking. Because of their unpaired electron, free radicals are unstable and seek to react with other molecules, leading to alterations in membrane lipids, structural proteins like collagen and elastin, as well as in DNA. The phenols in bamboo extract can donate an electron to free radicals, thus helping stabilize them and limit deleterious chain reactions.

Several studies support this antioxidant activity. One study investigated various bamboo extracts and assessed their capacity to scavenge free radicals using different assays in vitro. These extracts exhibited a strong antioxidant activity, particularly in the ABTS assay, with a 50% inhibitory concentration of 3.07 μg/mL, a result comparable to that obtained with ascorbic acid, used as a control. While these initial results are encouraging, it is important to remember that these in vitro data do not allow for extrapolation of these effects to a cosmetic application on human skin. They do, however, suggest that the bamboo extract may help strengthen the skin’s antioxidant defense mechanisms.

In addition, bamboo extract is often associated with soothing properties. As such, it is sometimes incorporated into products designed for sensitive skin and mentioned in the context of chronic inflammatory conditions, such as atopic dermatitis. This skin disease is characterized by an impairment of the skin barrier, a persistent inflammation and an exaggerated immune response, rendering the skin particularly vulnerable to external aggressors.

Experimental investigations have sought to explore this anti-inflammatory effect using bamboo extracts, specifically those from Phyllostachys nigra. A study investigated the impact of this extract on human cell models (HaCaT keratinocytes and HMC-1 mast cells), as well as on a chemically induced murine model of atopic dermatitis. The results showed a significant decrease in several pro-inflammatory mediators, such as TARC, GM-CSF, TNF-α, MCP-1, and IL-6. In mice with atopic dermatitis-like lesions, application of the bamboo extract was associated with a reduction in the SCORAD score, attenuated thickening of the epidermis and dermis, and lower infiltration of inflammatory cells, notably mast cells.

These findings suggest that certain bamboo extracts have promising anti-inflammatory potential.

However, their extrapolation to the cosmetic field remains limited. The study relies on cell and animal models, without specifying the extract concentrations used or providing precise quantitative data on the reduction in SCORAD score or the pro-inflammatory mediators measured. Thus, although bamboo extract may help soothe sensitive or discomfort-prone skin within an appropriate formulation, these results do not allow for a definitive conclusion.

Bamboo extract is also considered for its potential to modulate melanin synthesis, the pigment responsible for skin coloration. Some research has investigated bamboo byproducts, particularly the husks of young shoots, to evaluate their ability to inhibit melanogenesis, which is closely linked to tyrosinase activity, the enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of tyrosine into melanin.

A study thus evaluated the melanin-inhibitory activity of a methanolic extract from bamboo shoot skins (Phyllostachys pubescens). The results showed that this extract was able to significantly reduce melanin production in melanoma cells, with a maximal effect observed at a 0.25% concentration, leading to inhibition of melanogenesis by up to 78.4% compared to the control. The study also demonstrated a decrease in tyrosinase mRNA expression, comparable to the kojic acid used as a positive control.

Despite these encouraging findings, several factors warrant caution. The study is based on specific bamboo skin extracts obtained via a methanolic extraction procedure, which may not accurately reflect the composition of bamboo extracts used in cosmetics. While these data suggest a significant potential for modulating pigmentation, they do not allow us to conclude a proven efficacy of bamboo extract in reducing brown spots, and they underscore the need for further clinical studies.

• TANAKA A. & al. Biological activities and phytochemical profiles of extracts from different parts of bamboo (Phyllostachys pubescens). Molecules (2014).

• WILCZYNSKI S. & al. The effects of green tea (Camellia sinensis), bamboo extract (Bambusa vulgaris) and lactic acid on sebum production in young women with acne vulgaris using sonophoresis treatment. Healthcare (2022).

• LOIZZO M. R. & al. Anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of leaves and sheath from bamboo (Phyllostacys edulis J. Houz). Antioxidants (2023).

• SHIMIZU K. & al. Melanin synthesis inhibition activity of compounds isolated from bamboo shoot skin (Phyllostachys pubescens). Molecules (2023).

• JUNG H.-S. & al. Phyllostachys nigra Munro var alleviates inflammatory chemokine expression and DNCB-induced atopic-like dermatitis in BALB/c mice. Journal of Ethnopharmacology (2024).