Categories of cosmetics available range from skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, finger nail and toe nail polish, eye and facial make-up, towelettes, permanent wave setters, hair colours, hair sprays, gels, deodorants, sanitizers, baby products, bath oils, bubble baths, bath salts, butters etc. Make-up is a subset of cosmetics referring primarily to coloured products intended to alter the user’s appearance. Based on the purpose of usage cosmetics may be either decorative or care cosmetics.

Based on physical state cosmetics can be grouped into following major categories:

• Solids: Talcum powders, face packs, masks, compact powders, cake make-up etc.
• Semi-solids: Creams, ointments, liniments, wax base creams, pastes etc.
• Liquids: Lotions, moisturizers, hair oil, conditioners, shampoos, cleansing milk, mouth washes, deodorants, liniments, sprays etc.

Manufacturers use a wide variety of herbs in their herbal cosmetics. For extemporaneous use herbal crude drugs may be used fresh, as aqueous extracts, juices, dried powders, infusion, decoction, tincture etc. For large-scale manufacture of products intended to have a longer shelf life, herbs are mostly used in the form of concentrated extracts. These are prepared using aqueous, hydroglycolic, alcoholic solvents, liquid carbon dioxide, essential oils and other distilled extracts.

Thus herbs can be utilized for cosmetics in three forms:

• Total extracts, applied mainly according to the historical tradition of their use.Aloe vera gel from the leaves of Aloe species are used as such and as stable proprietary preparations made from the gel for use in cosmetics especially for its wound healing, emollient and conditioning effect for use in hair and skin care cosmetics.Green tea is rich in polyphenols and polysaccharides. Its whole extract is extensively used as sunscreen as it absorbs UV A and B rays and is a powerful antioxidant. The polysaccharides enhance fibroblast cell proliferation making it valuable as an anti-ageing agent in cosmetic formulations
• Selective extracts prepared to concentrate specific active fraction of the plant.A lipophilic extract of liquorice rich in triterpenoid saponins such as glabridin is a useful cosmetic ingredient on account of its skin-whitening, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, melanogenesis inhibitory and antioxidant properties. Due to its antioxidant and regenerative properties it is an important ingredient in several body care and cosmetic products.A polyamine-rich extract of wheat germ is used in cosmetics for its anti-ageing property.Flavonoid- and terpene-rich extracts of ginkgo due to their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and cell-regenerative properties are used for their anti-ageing, photo-protective, anti-cellulite advantages in skin care cosmetics.
• Single molecules extract derived purified such as resveratrol, glycyrrhizin, rutin, lawsone, vitamins, coenzyme Q₁₀ are used more based on their tested specific activity.Resveratrol belonging to a class of polyphenols called stilbenes found in the skin of red grapes is found to reduce wrinkles, stimulate collagen and elastin and is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial. Likewise rutin, a furano cumarin from buck wheat, is an antioxidant, hair and skin conditioner.

Preparation of herbal cosmetics follows the same procedure as cosmetics with the incorporation of the herbal materials along with the basic ingredients needed for the preparation of the cosmetic in question. It requires appropriate alteration in the ingredient composition such as use of suitable emulsifying agents towards preparing the desired product of specified parameters. Modification of methodology of preparation like avoidance of excessive processing is essential to retain the bioactivity of the botanicals to ascertain its availability after application. Based on evaluation of parameters such as organoleptic characteristics, pH, viscosity, stability towards light, refrigeration etc. manufacturers ensure the quality of the products.