Ingredient Spotlight: Mimosa Tenuiflora

Ingredient Spotlight · Plant Active

Mimosa Tenuiflora

The bark that repairs. Nicknamed the "skin tree" by the Aztecs, mimosa tenuiflora speeds up epidermal regeneration and soothes stressed skin.

The portrait of a Mexican tree, guardian of our fruit acid line.

RepairingRegeneratingSoothingHealingProtective
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Common name
Mimosa tenuiflora, tepezcohuite, skin tree.
INCI name
Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract.
Family, type
Fabaceae (legumes); repairing bark extract.
Found in nature
Dry regions of Mexico (Chiapas, Oaxaca) and Brazil, where this thorny tree, 16 to 26 feet tall, grows in poor soils.
How it's obtained
The bark is harvested, dried and ground, then undergoes water-glycerin extraction and filtration.
Typical concentration
0.5% to 3% extract.
Organoleptic properties
Appearance: red-brown liquid; Scent: woody, slightly tannic.
Physical characteristics
Water-soluble; rich in tannins (up to 16% of the bark), flavonoids, saponins and arabinogalactans, polysaccharides that stimulate fibroblasts1,2.
Benefits
Repairing, regenerating, soothing, healing, antioxidant, protective.
Cosmetic indications
Exfoliated, sensitized or damaged skin; delicate eye area; alongside fruit acid treatments.

Did you know?A little history

The Maya and Aztecs applied powdered tepezcohuite bark to burns and wounds: its Nahuatl name means "skin tree."

The world rediscovered it in 1984, when a gas explosion in Mexico City left thousands with burns. Facing a shortage of medicines, hospitals used the traditional bark powder, with results that caught researchers' attention. The following year, it was used again after the Mexico City earthquake.

Subsequent studies identified its arabinogalactans, polysaccharides that stimulate fibroblast growth1. Yon-Ka chose it to accompany its fruit acids: what exfoliation renews, mimosa rebuilds.

General useMimosa in everyday life

In Mexico, tepezcohuite bark remains a popular remedy for burns, acne and minor wounds, as a powder, ointment or soap. Its tannins tighten tissues and its flavonoids protect against oxidation.

Not to be confused with the yellow-flowered mimosa of European gardens (Acacia dealbata): same family, but one scents bouquets, the other repairs skin.

Cosmetic useIts properties on skin

  • RegeneratingIts arabinogalactans stimulate fibroblast proliferation and the rebuilding of the epidermis1.
  • RepairingIt speeds the repair of exfoliated, damaged or irritated skin.
  • SoothingIt calms the discomfort that can follow exfoliation.
  • AstringentIts tannins tighten pores and tone tissues2.
  • AntioxidantFlavonoids and tannins protect renewed skin from oxidative stress.
  • ProtectiveIt helps skin rebuild its barrier after cell renewal.

FormulationMimosa tenuiflora at Yon-Ka

Repairing bark extract

Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract

The constant companion of fruit acids in the Alpha line: it repairs and soothes while the AHAs exfoliate.

Alpha-Fluid · Alpha-Peel · Alpha-Contour

In cosmeticsUses

  • Fruit acid treatments, to balance exfoliation;
  • Repairing eye care;
  • After-sun and post-aggression care;
  • Healing and blemish care.

The Yon-Ka approach

A peel is only complete if it repairs. That's mimosa tenuiflora's role in the Alpha line: it turns exfoliation into renewal, giving skin the means to rebuild itself more beautiful than before.

The science of the active, the sensoriality of the plant.

How to useAdding it to your ritual

  1. In the evening
    Alpha-Fluid on face and neck after Lotion Yon-Ka, as a 4- to 8-week course.
  2. Once a week
    Alpha-Peel for 10 minutes on cleansed skin, then rinse.
  3. The eye area
    Alpha-Contour morning and evening, with light tapping motions.

Good to knowStorage and precautions

A stable extract; close your bottles tightly.

Very well tolerated when applied topically, with no known contraindications. The precautions to follow are those of the fruit acids it accompanies: sunscreen during the day and courses outside periods of intense sun exposure.

Go furtherSources

  1. Zippel J., Deters A., Hensel A. Arabinogalactans from Mimosa tenuiflora (Willd.) Poiret bark as active principles for wound-healing properties: specific enhancement of dermal fibroblast activity and minor influence on HaCaT keratinocytes. Journal of Ethnopharmacology, 2009; 124(3): 391-396. PubMed
  2. PubMed search on Mimosa tenuiflora and skin repair. PubMed
  3. COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe), cosmetic ingredient database, Mimosa Tenuiflora Bark Extract. cosmileeurope.eu
Selection

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The Yon-Ka formulas where mimosa tenuiflora is a key ingredient.

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