What is it?
An ingredient made from olivine, a green magnesium iron silicate mineral found in dark volcanic rocks such as basalt and abundant in the Earth’s mantle. Its gem-quality form is the gemstone peridot. The European Union’s cosmetic ingredient database describes the ingredient simply as an extract of olivine and lists skin conditioning as its only function. Little has been published about how the extract is made or what it contains.
Key information
- Olivine is a magnesium iron silicate mineral; its gem variety is peridot.
- We found no safety assessment of olivine extract by the CIR or the EU's Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, and the EU lists no restrictions on it.
- Olivine naturally contains trace amounts of nickel and chromium.
- We found no published studies on what olivine extract does for skin.
More information
Olivine is abundant in the Earth’s mantle and common in dark volcanic rocks. Its composition ranges between a magnesium silicate and an iron silicate, and it is one of the first minerals to break down when rock weathers. The cosmetic ingredient is described only as an extract of olivine; we found no published details of the extraction method, the solvent used or the composition of the finished extract.
We found no safety assessment of olivine extract by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) or the EU’s Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety, and no published toxicity, irritation or allergy studies. The EU’s CosIng database lists it as a skin-conditioning ingredient with no restrictions.
One point about its composition is worth knowing. Olivine contains the trace metals nickel and chromium; environmental scientists studying the spreading of ground olivine along coastlines to capture carbon dioxide have flagged their release as a possible risk to marine life. How much of either metal, if any, ends up in a cosmetic extract has not been published. That matters mainly for people with a nickel allergy.
Reality check: gemstone and mineral extracts are sometimes promoted with claims that go well beyond the evidence. There is no published research showing that olivine extract has any particular effect on skin, and no published evidence of harm either. On labels, look for “olivine extract.”
Sources: European Commission CosIng: Olivine Extract; Geology.com: Olivine, a rock-forming mineral used as the gemstone peridot; Environmental Science & Technology (2021): Nickel and chromium based environmentally safe olivine guidelines for coastal enhanced silicate weathering
