Artemisia (mugwort)

Artemisia is a large plant genus that includes mugwort and wormwood. In cosmetics you will most often see Artemisia princeps, Artemisia vulgaris or Artemisia annua leaf extract, usually high on the ingredient list of Korean essences, ampoules, masks and cleansing balms, and sometimes replacing water as the base.

The extracts contain a mix of polyphenols, flavonoids and other plant compounds with antioxidant activity in laboratory conditions, and they are marketed for comforting reactive, irritated-feeling skin. As with most botanical extracts, the marketing runs ahead of the clinical evidence, and concentration and extraction method matter as much as the plant name.

Artemisia belongs to the Asteraceae family, alongside ragweed, chamomile and daisies — people who react to that family, or to mugwort pollen, may react to it on the skin as well. Patch test before use, and note that essential-oil-bearing artemisia preparations are more likely to irritate than water-based extracts.