Lichen as a Raw Material in Perfumery and Cosmetic Industries

Lichens are two-part organisms made up of an alga and a fungus living in symbiosis. The ability to photosynthesize is provided by the alga, but the morphology of the plant is usually provided by a fungus called an ascomycete. Lichen has been used for a long time for aesthetic purposes, while its phytochemical extracts have become increasingly popular ingredients for personal care products, including perfumes, baby creams, deodorants, and face and body lotions. Different lichen species' extracts have revealed that lichen extracts contain a variety of chemical compounds that fall under the categories of phenols, flavonoids, terpenoids, volatile oils, etc., for which lichen is widely used in the production of cosmetics and fragrances. Lichen species like Evernia prunastri (Oakmoss) and Pseudevernia furfuracea (tree moss) are the most commonly used species in the perfume and cosmetic industries. Due to the high concentration of phenolic chemicals present, such as atranorin, evernic acid, orcinol, usnic acid, lecanorin, prunastric acid, thamnolic acid, rhizomic acid, and methyl orsellinate, both oakmoss and tree moss extracts have substantial flavoring characteristics. The manufacturing of cosmetics and perfumes relies heavily on lichen extracts because of the presence of these phytochemicals. The following article makes an effort to categorize and quantify the numerous lichen species that are utilized in the production of numerous goods in the cosmetic and perfume industries.