ABSTRACT
A growing trend in cosmetic and pharmaceutical industries is to replace synthetics products and revert to the use of natural ingredients. An important set of activities concerns the development of new products from natural sources. Consequently, a growing interest has been addressed to materials of the American, Euro-Mediterranean, and Eastern traditions, and to exotic plants that in many cases have been introduced to Western countries through fair trading practices. The commercialization of these products on a wide scale can provide major benefits to the local communities of both developed and underdeveloped countries, in terms of reforestation of marginal land, new diversified farming activity, sustainable development of rural conditions, and utilization of renewable natural resources.
