A REVIEW ON INNOVATIVE USES OF SUNFLOWER (HELIANTHUS ANNUS) IN COSMETIC FORMULATIONS

Agricultural waste is underutilized, and sometimes burning them has a negative impact on the environment and human health. This research investigates the untapped potential of extracts from maize, wheat and sunflower waste as natural materials for cutaneous, specifically, cosmetic application. All extracts showed a desirable safety profile and good antimicrobial activity against various microorganisms. Lipid extracts have proven to be promising structural ingredients of the oil phase, contributing to the spreadability, occlusivity, and emollient effect. Ethanol extracts influenced washability and stickiness of the formulation and could be considered as prospective ingredients in self-preserving formulations. The extracts affected the sensory properties of the creams, mainly the smell and color. These results suggest that the extracts from wheat, maize, and sunflower waste could be used as multifunctional natural ingredients for cosmetic formulations which can replace less sustainable raw materials. This also represents a valorization of waste and is in line with broader sustainability goals. “Value-Added Products from Maize, Wheat and Sunflower Waste as Raw Materials for Pharmaceutical and Food Industry” (PhAgroWaste) has been designed, with the aim to investigate and propose a cost-effective and sustainable agricultural waste management practice, where micro- and nanocrystalline cellulose (MCC/NCC) and the other products of high commercial value and biological activity (waxes, polyphenol-containing extracts and/or isolated chemical compounds) will be produced from harvest residues of corn, wheat and sunflower.