Applications

Botanical extracts for shampoo and conditioner

Green tea leaf and rosemary leaf are the two botanical extracts most specified in new US shampoos and conditioners, at 8 to 10% of launches each, with ginger root, aloe vera gel, calendula flower, saw palmetto berry and red clover behind them. Ginger is up 42% in shampoo and aloe up 38% in conditioner. Bio-Botanica supplies each as a cosmetic-grade liquid extract.

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Updated 6 November 2026. Source: Gravel AI, US personal care launch data, 12 months to September 2026 versus the prior 12 months.

What formulators are specifying

Five botanical extracts to specify in shampoo and conditioner

Share is the percentage of new US shampoo and conditioner launches that list the INCI; change is against the prior 12 months. Part IDs link to the product page with the Spec Sheet, representative COA and SDS.

Share of new US launches, 4,000 shampoos and 3,362 conditioners, 12 months to September 2026. Source: Gravel AI.
Botanical	INCI	Share of new launches	12-month change	Part IDs (carrier)
Green tea leaf	Camellia sinensis leaf extract	10.1% shampoo / 9.7% conditioner	+29% / +11%	3345GL (glycerin), 3345ZB (Zemea propanediol), 3345NBG (butylene glycol)
Rosemary leaf	Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract	7.8% shampoo / 8.6% conditioner	+9% / -12%	3330GL (glycerin), 3330ZB (Zemea propanediol), 3330PBBG (butylene glycol)
Ginger root	Zingiber officinale root extract	3.0% shampoo / 2.5% conditioner	+42% / +15%	3264GL (glycerin), 3264ZB (Zemea propanediol)
Aloe vera gel	Aloe barbadensis leaf extract	2.5% shampoo / 3.4% conditioner	+10% / +38%	3160GL (glycerin), 3160ZB (Zemea propanediol)
Calendula flower	Calendula officinalis flower extract	2.8% shampoo / 2.3% conditioner	+16% / -24%	3224GL (glycerin), 3224ZB (Zemea propanediol), 3224NBG (butylene glycol)

Demand

What is changing in shampoo and conditioner

Growing

Ginger root (up 42% in shampoo), green tea (up 29% in shampoo), aloe (up 38% in conditioner), lavender flower (up 29% in shampoo) and red clover (up 35% in conditioner).

Holding

Rosemary leaf is the second most-used extract in both formats, up 9% in shampoo but down 12% in conditioner. Saw palmetto berry holds 2.4% of new shampoos, up 13%.

Falling

Sunflower seed extract (3.5%, down 23%) and apple fruit extract (down 31% in shampoo, down 12% in conditioner) are losing share.

Full category-by-category data in the 2027 botanical extracts guide. Source: Gravel AI, US personal care launch data, 12 months to September 2026 versus the prior 12 months.

Formulation

How to specify these extracts

Shampoos are surfactant systems and conditioners are cationic emulsions, so water-phase botanical extracts are added in the cool-down or post-addition phase. Glycerin carriers suit both; Zemea® propanediol suits petrochemical-free and naturals-aligned ranges; butylene glycol suits clear shampoos. Compatibility with cationic conditioning agents is confirmed by your lab against the Spec Sheet and a sample.

Every Part ID above is a single-plant, cosmetic-grade liquid extract made by Bio-Botanica's Bio-Chelated® cold process, supplied full-spectrum and non-standardized. Glycerin (GL), Zemea® propanediol (ZB) and butylene glycol (NBG, PBBG) are carriers, not extraction solvents.

Questions

Frequently asked questions: botanical extracts for shampoo and conditioner

Which botanical extracts are used most in shampoo?

Camellia sinensis leaf extract (10.1% of new US shampoos) and Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract (7.8%), followed by ginger root (3.0%), calendula flower (2.8%), aloe vera leaf (2.5%) and saw palmetto berry (2.4%). Source: Gravel AI, 12 months to September 2026.

Which botanical extracts are used most in conditioner?

Green tea leaf (9.7% of new US conditioners) and rosemary leaf (8.6%), followed by aloe vera leaf (3.4%), ginger root (2.5%), calendula flower (2.3%) and red clover flower (1.6%).

Which hair care botanical is growing fastest?

Ginger root extract is up 42% in new US shampoos and lavender extract is up 172% from a small base; in conditioners, aloe vera leaf extract is up 38% and red clover flower extract up 35%.

Can botanical extracts be added to a conditioner base?

Yes. Water-phase glycerin, Zemea propanediol and butylene glycol extracts are added in the cool-down phase; compatibility with cationic conditioning agents and preservative is confirmed by your lab against the Spec Sheet and a sample.

Next step

Formulating shampoo and conditioner for 2027? Start with samples.

Tell us the extracts and carriers you are evaluating and our team will send samples with Spec Sheets, representative COAs and SDS, or talk through carrier choice with a formulator before you choose.

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