The most searched topic! Why is the ubiquitous morning glory a banned ingredient in cosmetics?

Review expert: Wang Kang, Director of the Science Museum of the National Botanical Garden, Senior Engineer

Recently, the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration announced that it had filed a case against a certain cosmetics company for allegedly adding banned ingredients. In a statement on the matter, the brand said that it had not produced any products containing round-leaf morning glory extract since May 26, 2021, and that it had not illegally added banned ingredients (here, "round-leaf morning glory extract"). The news became a hot topic, bringing "round-leaf morning glory extract" into the eyes of more people. What is round-leaf morning glory? Why is its extract listed as a banned ingredient?

What is the difference between round-leaved morning glory and ordinary morning glory?

Ipomoea purpurea (L.) Roth, also known as purple morning glory and morning glory, is a common ornamental plant belonging to the Convolvulaceae family. Its flowers are brightly colored and unique in shape, so it is often planted in courtyards, flower beds or as a potted plant. Ipomoea purpurea is also used in traditional Chinese medicine and is believed to have the effects of clearing away heat and detoxification, diuresis and relieving stranguria.

The reason why it is called round-leaved morning glory does not mean that its leaves are truly round. The key to the answer lies in the sepals - the sepals of round-leaved morning glory are rounded and obtuse triangles, while the sepals of common morning glory are lanceolate.

Image source: Wang Yixing. Are all “morning glories” morning glories? [J]. Tiantian Aike, 2020, (Z2): 54-59.

They sprout in spring and have a long flowering period, blooming continuously from May to October. A warm, humid, sunny environment is the most popular for round-leaved morning glory. If the soil and air humidity are high, the flowers can bloom from morning to afternoon.

The round-leaved morning glory usually has one or 2-5 flowers growing on the top of the peduncle, forming an umbrella shape. Its flowers are gamopetalous and the calyx is 5-lobed. Its corolla is large. At noon, the temperature rises and the water in the flower evaporates quickly, causing the corolla to roll up like a spring, forming a small barrel shape. Some will open again the next morning when the temperature and humidity are suitable. It has very tenacious vitality.

Prunus rotundus : an invasive species

The round-leaved morning glory is native to South America and reproduces by seeds. It is one of the most widespread weed pests in the world and one of the most harmful invasive alien species in my country. It ranks 9th in the third batch of invasive alien species list announced in 2014.

After being established, the round-leaved morning glory will expand rapidly and occupy the ecological niches of local species with its faster growth rate, strong competitiveness and reproductive ability, and compete with them for nutrients, water, space, light, etc. At the same time, it will squeeze out local species by entanglement and covering other plants, forming a large-scale community with the round-leaved morning glory as the dominant species, inhibiting the growth of other crops and herbaceous plants, causing poor growth of local species, or even a gradual decline.

Source: Ministry of Ecology and Environment's "Announcement on the Release of China's Alien Invasive Species List (Third Batch)" Annex: China's Alien Invasive Species List (Third Batch)

Why is morning glory extract a banned ingredient in cosmetics?

The extract of morning glory was once considered by some cosmetics manufacturers as a raw material with potential skin care effects because it contains a variety of bioactive ingredients, such as flavonoids, polysaccharides, alkaloids, etc. These ingredients are believed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, moisturizing and other effects, so they are added to some cleansers, creams and other cosmetics in the hope of improving skin conditions.

On May 26, 2021, the National Medical Products Administration issued the "Announcement on Updating the List of Prohibited Raw Materials for Cosmetics" (No. 74 of 2021). In the announcement, "Phnom Penh extract" was clearly included in the prohibited list. Raw materials used in cosmetics need to undergo rigorous safety assessments. Phnom Penh extract may be considered unsuitable for continued use in cosmetics due to certain unknown safety risks or potential health hazards. Specifically, Phnom Penh extract may contain some ingredients that may cause skin irritation or allergic reactions.

As the cosmetics market continues to expand and consumer demand diversifies, cosmetics manufacturers need to pay more attention to the safety and compliance of raw materials. For consumers, it is necessary to establish common sense in choosing safe and compliant cosmetics. When purchasing cosmetics, you should carefully read the product labels and instructions to understand the ingredients and efficacy of the products.