Euterpe oleracea, Matricaria chamomilla, and Camellia sinensis as promising ingredients for development of skin care formulations

•The extracts seem to have promising properties for use in skin care formulations.•The extracts are photostable and have high antioxidant activity.•The Camellia sinensis extract has a phenolic content higher than other extracts.

The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate the stability of cosmetic formulations containing botanical extracts of Açai, Chamomile and Green Tea, promising adjuvants in cosmetic preparations. The extracts were previously submitted to photostability and antioxidant activity studies. Antioxidant activity was determined by chemiluminescence and the total phenolic content by the Folin–Ciocalteu method. Photostability of the extracts was also determined in the formulations after these have been developed. Experimental formulations were prepared containing extracts of Açai, Chamomile and Green Tea and submitted to accelerated stability studies, determination of rheological properties and to sensorial analysis. Results showed that all extracts had a potential antioxidant effect, Green Tea being the most promising one. It had the highest total phenolic content, which may explain the difference observed. The formulation containing Green Tea extract also showed the best performance in sensorial analysis. It is concluded that all extracts seem to have promising properties for use in cosmetic formulations. Green Tea extract, however, had a significant performance in all studies.