Saffron Science™

Discover the unparalleled rejuvenating, medicinal, and divine properties of the world’s most expensive spice – saffron.

To create saffron skincare products that are both effective and luxurious, one must possess saffron expertise. Expertise in saffron requires deep respect for its history, and conscientious research into its science. We are eager to share with you Saffron Science™ – our skincare-specialized knowledge of saffron.

Saffron’s uses in natural medicine are diverse. It is used as an anti-catarrhal, anti-spasmodic, nerve sedative, gingival sedative, diaphoretic, carminative and expectorant. Recent studies have found a range of positive effects associated with saffron, including: anti-cancer, anti-toxic, antioxidant, antinociceptive, anti-inflammatory, anti-atherosclerosis, anti-diabetic and insulin resistance, hypotensive, hypolipidemic, hypoglycemic, antidepressant, and mood-improving.

In the world of skincare, saffron has ancient roots. Combining saffron with animal milk was used in bathing rituals across the ancient world. Saffron has been used in tribal skincare to lighten dark spots and rejuvenate the skin’s natural glow. Modern research is playing catch up with the ageless wisdom behind saffron’s medicinal uses. Today, modern science is seeking to decode saffron's protective benefits, including its high levels of antioxidant activity, immunoregulatory properties, and anti-inflammatory mechanisms. We invite you to explore some of the science that informs us.

Saffron’s Benefits

  • “This study indicated that the ethanolic extracts of saffron stigma and petal have antitumor activity and the stigma extract has more potent anti-tumor effects than the petal extract but with less toxicity.”

    ANTI-CANCER

    Hosseinzadeh H, Behravan J, Ramezani M, Ajgan K. Anti-tumor and cytotoxic evaluation of Crocus sativus L stigma and petal extracts using brine shrimp and potato disc assays. J Med Plants. 2005;3:59–65.

  • “Saffron has been reported to exert anti-tumor and anti-cancer effects in various types of cancer including lung cancer, breast cancer, leukemia, skin cancer and prostate cancer.”

    ANTI-CANCER

    Zahra Khorasanchi , Mojtaba Shafiee, Farnoush Kermanshahi, Majid Khazaei, Mikhail Ryzhikov 3, Mohammad Reza Parizadeh, Behnoush Kermanshahi, Gordon A Ferns, Amir Avan, Seyed Mahdi Hassanian, “Crocus sativus a natural food coloring and flavoring has potent anti-tumor properties.” Phytomedicine. 2018 Apr 1;43:21-27. doi: 10.1016/j.phymed.2018.03.041.

  • “Studies in animal models and with cultured human malignant cell lines have demonstrated antitumor and cancer preventive activities of saffron and its main ingredients…”

    ANTI-CANCER

    F I Abdullaev , J J Espinosa-Aguirre, “Biomedical properties of saffron and its potential use in cancer therapy and chemoprevention trials.” Cancer Detect Prev. 2004;28(6):426-32. doi: 10.1016/j.cdp.2004.09.002.

  • “Saffron possesses free radical-scavenging properties and antitumor activities. Significant cancer chemopreventive effects have been shown in both in vitro and in vivo models.”

    ANTI-CANCER

    Zhiyu Zhang, Chong-Zhi Wang, Xiao-Dong Wen, Yukihiro Shoyama, Chun-Su Yuan, “Role of saffron and its constituents on cancer chemoprevention.” Pharm Biol. 2013 Jul;51(7):920-4. doi: 10.3109/13880209.2013.771190.

  • “A growing body of research has demonstrated that saffron extract itself and its main constituents, the carotenoids, possess chemopreventive properties against cancer.”

    ANTI-CANCER

    Abdullaev, Fikrat, “Cancer chemopreventive and tumoricidal properties of saffron (Crocus sativus L.).” Exp Biol Med (Maywood). 2002 Jan;227(1):20-5. doi: 10.1177/153537020222700104.

  • “Vitamin E and, at lower doses, safranal (0.025 and 0.05 ml/kg) and crocin (50 mg/kg) restored the reduction of red blood cell, hemoglobin and hematocrit indices induced by [diazinon, an insecticide]. These agents at some doses also prevented the reduction in platelets counts indices in diazinon treated group.”

    CELLULAR RENEWAL

    Hariri AT, Moallem SA, Mahmoudi M, Hosseinzadeh H. The effect of crocin and safranal, constituents of saffron, against subacute effect of diazinon on hematological and genotoxicity indices in rats. Phytomedicine. 2011;18:499–504.

  • “…a significant decrease in apoptosis (3-35%) was observed in the cells that were treated with crocin and safranal.”

    CELLULAR RENEWAL

    Niloufar Rahiman 1, Maryam Akaberi 2, Amirhossein Sahebkar 3, Seyed Ahmad Emami 2, Zahra Tayarani-Najaran, “Protective effects of saffron and its active components against oxidative stress and apoptosis in endothelial cells.” Microvasc Res. 2018 Jul;118:82-89. doi: 10.1016/j.mvr.2018.03.003. Epub 2018 Mar 7.

  • “Crocin inhibited the HSV replication at before and after entry of virions into Vero cells. Indeed, crocin carotenoid suppressed HSV penetration in the target cells as well as disturbed virus replication after entry into the cells. Picrocrocin was also effective for inhibiting virus entry and also its replication.”

    ANTIVIRAL

    Sepehr Soleymani, Rezvan Zabihollahi, Sepideh Shahbazi, Azam Bolhassani. Antiviral Effects of Saffron and its Major Ingredients. Curr Drug Deliv. 2018;15(5):698-704.

  • “The stamen ether fraction displayed the strongest antifungal and cytotoxic activities, whereas both of the saffron stamen and perianth ether fractions exhibited significant antioxidant activities.”

    ANTIFUNGAL

    Cheng-Jian Zheng, Lin Li, Wen-Hui Ma, Ting Han, Lu-Ping Qin. Chemical constituents and bioactivities of the liposoluble fraction from different medicinal parts of Crocus sativus. Pharm Biol. 2011 Jul;49(7):756-63.

  • “In chronic inflammation, both aqueous and ethanolic stigma extracts, as well as ethanolic petal extract, exerted anti-inflammatory effects. We conclude that aqueous and ethanolic extracts of saffron stigma and petal have an antinociceptive effect, as well as acute and/or chronic antiinflammatory activity.”

    ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

    Hosseinzadeh H, Younesi HM. Antinociceptive and anti-inflammatory effects of Crocus sativus L stigma and petal extracts in mice. BMC Pharmacol. 2002;15:2–7.

  • “In modern studies, its active constituents including protective effects, antiinflammatory activities and molecular mechanisms of saffron on the immune system have been demonstrated.”

    ANTI-INFLAMMATORY

    Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2019 Apr;22(4):334-344. doi: 10.22038/ijbms.2019.34365.8158. Majid Zeinali, Mohammad Reza Zirak, Seyed Abdolrahim Rezaee, Gholamreza Karimi, Hossein Hosseinzadeh, “Immunoregulatory and anti-inflammatory properties of Crocus sativus (Saffron) and its main active constituents: A review.”

  • “The methanolic extract of saffron petal showed anti-bacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli and Shingella dysenteriae at concentration of 1000 mg/ml, with inhibition zone diameters ranging from 13 to 22 mm.”

    ANTIBACTERIAL

    Asgarpanah J, Darabi-Mahboub E, Mahboubi A, Mehrab R, Hakemivala M. In-Vitro Evaluation of Crocus Sativus L Petals and Stamens as Natural Antibacterial Agents Against Food-Borne Bacterial Strains. Iran J Pharm Sci. 2013;9:69–82.

  • “The present study demonstrated that safranal has protective effects on QA-induced oxidative damage in rat hippocampus through inhibition of lipid peroxidation and oxidative DNA damage and improving hippocampal antioxidant and thiol redox status, suggesting its antioxidant and neuroprotective properties.”

    ANTIOXIDANT

    Sadeghnia HR, Kamkar M, Assadpour E, Boroushaki MT, Ghorbani A. Protective effect of safranal, a constituent of Crocus sativus, on quinolinic acid-induced oxidative damage in rat hippocampus. Iran J Basic Med Sci. 2013;16:73–82.

  • “Flowers possessed high-phenolic content and excellent antioxidant properties that could contribute to their application as functional ingredients.”

    ANTIOXIDANT

    Jéssica Serrano-Díaz , Ana M Sánchez, Luana Maggi, Magdalena Martínez-Tomé, Luis García-Diz, M Antonia Murcia, Gonzalo L Alonso, “Increasing the applications of Crocus sativus flowers as natural antioxidants.” J Food Sci. 2012 Nov;77(11):C1162-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1750-3841.2012.02926.x. Epub 2012 Oct 11.

  • “It was shown that the antioxidant properties of both methanol extract and water-methanol (50:50 v/v) extract of Crocus sativus stigmas were higher than those of tomatoes and carrots.”

    ANTIOXIDANT

    Akhondzadeh B.A., Ghoreishi S.A., Noorbala A.A., Akhondzadeh S.H., Rezazadeh S.H., “Petal and stigma of Crocus sativus L. in the treatment of depression: A pilot double-blind randomized trial.” J. Med. Plants. 2008;7:29–36.