Uncaria Gambir Extract
Uncaria Gambir Extract is a gentle botanical extract derived from the leaves of the gambir plant, commonly used in UK skincare and haircare for its soothing and antioxidant properties. It helps calm the skin and protect against environmental stressors, making it a popular natural addition to creams, serums and masks.
How it works in skincare
In cosmetics and skincare Uncaria Gambir Extract functions primarily as a soothing antioxidant and astringent. It helps neutralise free radicals while gently tightening the feel of the skin, supporting a smoother and more refined appearance. Its natural tannins and catechins contribute to its ability to calm visible redness and irritation, making it a useful ingredient in sensitive-skin formulations, aftershaves, toners and protective day creams.
Key benefits
- Calms and soothes sensitive or irritated skin
- Provides antioxidant protection against environmental damage
- Helps reduce the appearance of redness
- Offers a gentle astringent effect for refined skin texture
- Supports skin comfort in leave-on moisturisers and masks
- Suitable for use in hair products to soothe the scalp
Best for
sensitive skin, reactive skin, mature skin, dry skin, redness-prone skin
Where it comes from
Uncaria Gambir Extract comes from the leaves and young twigs of Uncaria gambir, a climbing shrub native to Southeast Asia. The plant is traditionally processed by boiling the leaves to produce a concentrated extract rich in catechins and tannins.
Products with Uncaria Gambir Extract
Not every product on UK Lips lists a full ingredient breakdown — so there may be many more formulas that contain Uncaria Gambir Extract than we can show here. These are the comparisons where we’ve confirmed it in the listed ingredients.