What is it?
An extract of the flowers of the Madonna lily, or white lily (Lilium candidum), a bulb plant native to the Balkans and the Middle East and naturalized in other parts of Europe, North Africa and Mexico. In Mediterranean folk medicine, lily petals soaked in alcohol were applied to wounds, and the bulbs and flowers were used in remedies for the skin. In cosmetics the flower extract is listed as a skin-conditioning ingredient.
Key information
- Madonna lily is prominently associated with skin remedies and cosmetics in folk medicine.
- Chemical studies have identified flavonoids such as kaempferol and isorhamnetin rutinoside, and scent compounds such as linalool, in the plant.
- We found no safety assessment of Madonna lily flower extract by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review or the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, and no published skin irritation or allergy studies.
- The FDA warns that true lilies are dangerous to cats: eating a small amount of a petal or licking pollen off their fur can cause fatal kidney failure.
More information
The Madonna lily is a member of the lily family (Liliaceae). In Israel, at the southern edge of its range, it is considered endangered and is protected. A 2020 review notes that in folk medicine it is prominently associated with skin conditions and cosmetics: ethnobotanical surveys in Italy recorded lily petals soaked in spirit used on wounds and oil made from the flowers, and the plant was used in dermatological remedies in the Eastern Pyrenees.
Chemical studies have found flavonoids such as kaempferol and isorhamnetin rutinoside, which was isolated from the petals, along with volatile compounds such as linalool, citronellal, caryophyllene and humulene. An ethanol extract of the flowers was tested for antioxidant activity in test-tube assays. The 2020 study tested extracts of the bulbs and leaves, not the flowers.
We found no safety assessment of the flower extract by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) or the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, and a search of the medical literature turned up no skin irritation or allergy studies on it. Its record rests on traditional use and the absence of reported problems rather than on formal testing.
One caution concerns pets. The FDA warns that plants in the true lily family are very dangerous to cats: eating a small amount of a leaf or petal, licking pollen from their fur or drinking vase water can cause fatal kidney failure. The toxin has not been identified, and we found no reports involving cosmetic lily extracts, but cat owners may prefer to keep lily products out of reach. On labels the ingredient appears as Lilium Candidum Flower Extract.
Sources: Plants (2020): Medicinal Properties of Lilium candidum L. and Its Phytochemicals; Ceska a Slovenska Farmacie (2007): Constituents of Lilium candidum L. and their antioxidative activity; FDA: Lovely Lilies and Curious Cats: A Dangerous Combination
