Artemisia Annua Extract

Artemisia annua (sweet wormwood) extract is primarily used as a soothing/antioxidant botanical at low concentrations, but as a complex plant extract it contains multiple bioactive compounds that can trigger stinging or allergic contact dermatitis in reactive or eczematous skin. Patch-test literature for Asteraceae/Artemisia-related botanicals supports a non-trivial sensitization risk despite “calming” marketing, and cumulative exposure in multi-botanical routines can increase reactivity. For patient safety in severely sensitive populations, this warrants a mild irritancy score rather than being categorized as gentle. Safety Notes: In mass-market moisturizers/cleansers and multi-extract “soothing” blends, Artemisia annua extract is often used at trace levels (~0.0005–0.05%) to support a marketing story and complement preservation/anti-irritation systems. Dedicated mugwort/artemisia serums, ampoules, and calming creams commonly use ~0.1–1% of standardized extract, while a smaller set of consumer-available “high-extract” leave-on products (and some masks) list Artemisia annua extract at several percent, with ~5% representing the upper end observed before texture, odor/color, and stability constraints typically limit further increases.