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Activities:
Antioxidant, anticarcinogenic, anti-inflammatory, antinausea, wound healing
Important Chemical Components:
Terpenes, phenolic vanilloids ([6]-gingerol and other gingerols; the structurally related [6]-paradol, and other paradols), shogaols, [10]-shogaol and other shogaols, zingerone, β-carotene, ascorbic acid, rutin
Origin Classification:
This ingredient is considered natural. As an ingredient used for dermatologic purposes, it is laboratory made.
Personal Care Category:
Antioxidant, analgesic, photoprotectant
Recommended for the following Baumann Skin Types:
DRNW, DRPW, ORNW, and ORPW
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Ginger, the tuberous root or rhizome of Zingiber officinalis, is one of the most widely used species of the tropical and subtropical Zingiberaceae family, particularly as a condiment and spice for many foods and beverages.1 Indeed, the use of ginger rhizomes, commonly referred to as ginger, in culinary spices and as medicine to treat various conditions has a long-standing and widespread tradition throughout Asia (Table 59-1). The designation ginger is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word singabera, meaning “horn-shaped,” which alludes to the knobby protuberances of ginger’s rhizomes. It is now cultivated in China, India, Southeast Asia, Mexico, Africa, Fiji, and Australia.2 Traditional uses of the herb, to treat nausea, indigestion, joint inflammation, fever and infection, continue today, but the list of indications is expanding as research reveals a wider variety of potential applications.
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In fact, ginger is known as one of the most effective herbal remedies for nausea and has a longstanding reputation as a gastroprotective, carminative agent. Its antiemetic properties are attributed to an effect on gastric activity rather than a central nervous system mechanism. Ginger is also touted for its antioxidant, antiviral, antifungal, and antibacterial activity.3,4 It is thought to be effective against the growth of both Gram-positive and Gram-negative microbes.
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Ginger has also been cited as an effective element in treating stomach ulcers, arthritis, rheumatism, and migraines.5 Its purported ability to improve circulation and to act as an antioxidant has led to research into its viability as an ingredient in skin care products aimed at enhancing facial complexion. Evidence is gathering, also, of the chemopreventive, antineoplastic activity of ginger.6
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Native to much of Asia, ginger, dubbed Zingiber officinale in 1807 by English botanist William Roscoe, appears in records of its use in ancient Sanskrit and Chinese writings as well as Greek, Roman, and Arabic medical texts.2 Ginger has been used as a traditional herb for over 2,500 ...