What is nettle

Urtica dioica, or common nettle, is a perennial herbaceous plant found in almost the entire northern hemisphere. The same plant that stings when brushed in the field is, in cosmetics, an active ingredient with a surprisingly rich nutritional and functional profile. Its leaves and stems concentrate flavonoids, phenolic acids, minerals (silicon, iron, zinc, magnesium), chlorophyll, vitamins A, C, and K, and a fraction of polysaccharides with film-forming properties on hair.

In cosmetic formulation, it is mainly used as an aqueous or hydroglyceric extract obtained from fresh or dried leaves and stems. The extraction process removes the formic acids responsible for stinging, making an ingredient that, in its raw state, does not invite contact, completely safe.

It is one of the most well-documented botanical actives for hair use in European herbal tradition, especially in formulations for oily hair, dandruff-prone scalps, and hair loss treatments.

How it works

Nettle extract primarily acts on the scalp and hair fiber through various mechanisms. Its flavonoids, such as quercetin and kaempferol, exert anti-inflammatory and antioxidant action that calms irritated scalps and reduces overreactivity. Its zinc and silicon content contributes to sebum balance and strengthens keratin, the structural protein of hair.

Chlorophyll, present in significant amounts in fresh leaf extracts, has a purifying effect and is partially responsible for the characteristic green color of some unbleached extracts. Polysaccharides form a thin film on the hair fiber that improves styling and adds body without weighing it down.

On the scalp skin, nettle modulates the activity of the sebaceous glands, making it especially useful in formulas for oily or seborrhea-prone hair. Its action on local microcirculation is one of the mechanisms associated with its traditional use as a hair follicle stimulant.

Properties and benefits

• Sebum-regulating: balances sebum production on the scalp, ideal for oily or combination hair.
• Hair stimulant: improves scalp microcirculation and promotes a more receptive environment for the follicle.
• Anti-dandruff: its combination of mild antifungal, anti-inflammatory, and purifying action places it among the leading natural actives for dandruff-prone scalps.
• Antioxidant: protects scalp cells and hair fiber from accumulated oxidative damage.
• Strengthening: zinc and silicon reinforce the keratin structure, contributing to hair with more body and less breakage.
• Soothing: reduces irritation and itching on reactive or sensitized scalps.
• Purifying: removes impurities and excess sebum without harming the skin microbiota.

Use and integration into routine

Nettle primarily appears in shampoos, conditioners, hair tonics, and scalp masks. In shampoo format, it acts during the contact time of washing, which, although brief, is sufficient for the most soluble active ingredients to perform their function. In hair tonics and serums, where the residence time is longer, its effect on microcirculation and sebum balance is enhanced.

Combines well with coconut surfactantsin gentle shampoo bases, providing the functional profile that these do not cover on their own. With aloe verait adds a soothing and moisturizing effect, especially interesting when the scalp is irritated as well as oily. With green tea, another top-level plant antioxidant, it reinforces protection against accumulated oxidative damage.

In skin formulas, nettle occasionally appears in purifying products for acne-prone skin or facial seborrhea, although its hair use is by far the most widespread and documented.

Curiosities and facts

The stinging plant is right
The stinging hairs of Urtica dioicaare hollow structures loaded with formic acid, histamine, and serotonin. Upon contact, they break and release this mixture, hence the immediate burning sensation. Paradoxically, this same histamine that irritates healthy skin has been studied for its properties in topical formulations for local circulation, always in controlled concentrations and in the context of the processed extract, not the raw plant.

Northern European hair has always known it
In Germanic, Scandinavian, and Central European herbal tradition, nettle water rinses were the usual remedy for oily or hair loss-prone hair. German grandmothers would infuse the leaves, let them cool, and apply the liquid directly to the scalp after washing. Without knowing it, they were quite efficiently utilizing the plant's quercetin, zinc, and polysaccharides.

More than cosmetics: a plant with a resume
Urtica dioicahas one of the longest human use records in the plant kingdom. Textile fiber before cotton (nettle was a source of fabrics in Europe until the 18th century), food (young leaves are rich in iron and protein), a remedy in traditional phytotherapy for joints, anemia, and the urinary tract. In cosmetics, it has been used for decades, but it is the most recent facet of a plant that has been useful for millennia.

In the INCI it appears as:Urtica dioica leaf extract · Urtica dioica extract · Urtica dioica

Other active ingredients that may interest you

Green tea: a benchmark plant antioxidant, a natural complement to nettle in formulas for demanding scalps.
Aloe Vera: soothing and moisturizing, balances nettle's profile when the scalp needs comfort as well as sebum control.
Coconut surfactants: the gentle surfactant base with which nettle coexists in the best natural shampoos for oily hair.
Betaine: a humectant and softening agent that complements nettle's purifying action without drying.