Evernia Furfuracea
Evernia furfuracea, also known as Treemoss or Oakmoss, is an extract of the Evernia furfuracea plant. It is frequently used in the cosmetics industry and often found in products that contain fragrance. However, the exact use of cosmetics could not be determined with the current available resources.
Other names for Evernia furfuracea include Oakmoss Lichen Extract, Extract of Evernia Furfuracea, and Oak Moss Absolute, among others.
One of the most significant concerns with Evernia furfuracea is its potential to cause skin sensitivities, particularly allergic contact dermatitis. It's known as a human immune system toxicant or allergen with strong evidence of causing allergies or toxicity.
The ingredient has moderate use restrictions due to these potential allergic reactions, and there are recommended restrictions on its use, concentration, and manufacturing in cosmetics. These restrictions also extend to the labeling requirement for allergens.
Despite the concerns regarding skin sensitivities, Evernia furfuracea is not suspected to be toxic or harmful to organ systems, and it's not suspected to be an environmental toxin.
Evernia furfuracea is on the EU 26 list, a list of 26 specific fragrance ingredients known to cause allergic contact dermatitis that must be declared on the ingredient lists of cosmetic products. A study found that sensitization to these 26 individual fragrance ingredients, including Evernia furfuracea, was identified in 7.6% of the subject's patch tested. Most reactions were of clinical relevance, and fragrance-allergic subjects would be missed if testing with the individual fragrance ingredients was not performed.
