Supports wound healing folklore backed by lab data
Horsetail Extract Description
Horsetail extract comes from Equisetum arvense, a primitive plant that naturally accumulates unusually high levels of silica, a mineral compound also involved in supporting skin and connective tissue.
Research analyzing horsetail extracts has confirmed their meaningful silicon content along with genuine antioxidant activity from other plant compounds present in the extract, including a flavonoid called isoquercitroside.
Traditionally, horsetail has been used to support skin firmness and wound healing, though large scale human clinical trials testing finished horsetail skincare formulas specifically are limited, with more of the plant's evidence base focused on hair and nail supplementation.
Horsetail Extract References
Effect of Extraction Solvent on Silicon, Isoquercitroside Content, and Antioxidant Activity of Common Horsetail Extract, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 2024
Phytochemical Investigation of Equisetum arvense and Evaluation of Their Anti-Inflammatory Potential in TNFα/INFγ-Stimulated Keratinocytes, Pharmaceuticals, 2023
Safety Assessment of Equisetum arvense-Derived Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics, Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel, 2021
Our team reviews ingredient research and uses up-to-date evidence to rate ingredients based on the categories below.
Best
Ingredients with the most rigorous and convincing evidence. These are the standouts backed by consistent findings across independent, peer reviewed clinical research.. When we call an ingredient Best, it has earned that distinction through genuine, reproducible proof that it improves skin.
Good
Reliable, well tolerated ingredients that do their job without complaint. They may not carry the headline benefits of a Best rated active, but they hydrate, stabilize a formula, or support the ingredients around them in ways that make a real difference in how a product performs and feels.
Average
Ingredients that are perfectly safe and serve a clear function, typically as an emollient, thickener, or filler, but do not offer any meaningful skin benefit beyond that basic job. Not a red flag, just not a reason to choose one product over another.
Bad/Worst
Ingredients with documented potential to irritate skin, disrupt the barrier, or trigger sensitization in some users, often synthetic fragrance, drying forms of alcohol, or certain essential oils. Not automatically a dealbreaker for every skin type, but worth knowing about before you commit to a product.
