Other names: Common Wormwood, Absinth wormwood, Absinthium, Absinthe, Herbe aux Vers, Absinth, Echtwermut, Wermut, Assenzio, Aussent, Absinto, Asensio, Absenta, Pelin, Pelyněk, Absintalsem, Malurt, Huelemanos, Malört

Wormwood is native to Europe, North Africa, and Asia. In the 18th century, French doctor Pierre Ordinaire used wormwood to distill the alcohol-based elixir absinth. Wormwood contains lactones, terpenoids (trans-thujone, γ-terpinene, 1,4-terpeniol, myrcene, bornyl acetate, cadinene camphene, trans-sabinyl acetate, guaiazulene, chamazulene, camphor, and linalool), essential oils, organic acids, resins, tannins, and phenols. Its monoterpene ketone β-thujone caused severe neurological disorders among the heaviest consumers of the popular spirit absinth at the beginning of the 20th century.

Wormwood may be beneficial for loss of appetite, upset stomach, intestinal spasms, gall bladder disease, fever, liver disease, depression, memory loss, muscle pain, worm infections, to increase sexual desire, as a tonic, and to stimulate sweating.

Compliance: cosmetics ingredient

Compliance varies from country to country. There is no harmonized botanical list of allowed botanicals in food or food supplements for all EU countries. Compliance for cosmetic ingredients is harmonized in EU.

Please check your local regulation.