Active Ingredients

Rose of Jericho: Resurrection Plant for Superior Hydration

Rose of Jericho survives years of drought, then springs back to life the moment it meets water, bringing that same resilience to your skin. Rich in natural sugars and polysaccharides, it acts as a powerful humectant, drawing moisture deep into skin cells and helping to prevent water loss.

At Nourish London, Rose of Jericho is selected as part of complete formulations where it works alongside trehalose, hyaluronic acid and botanical oils to support lasting hydration and a stronger, calmer skin barrier.

Benefits

Helps prevent water loss during dehydration Supports long-lasting, deep hydration Encourages a stronger, calmer skin barrier Works well with trehalose and hyaluronic acid Suitable for sensitive and perimenopausal skin Supports improved skin elasticity and density

Best For

Dry skin Dehydrated skin Sensitive skin Perimenopausal skin Menopausal skin Loss of elasticity

What Is Rose of Jericho?

Rose of Jericho, or Selaginella lepidophylla, is a resilient desert plant known for its ability to survive years of severe drought and spring back to life within hours of rehydration. In skincare, an extract of the plant is used because of its unique moisture retention complex.

This complex is made up of polysaccharides, enzymes, stress response proteins and polyphenols that work together to protect and repair. These compounds help the plant survive complete desiccation, and on skin they behave in a similar way, helping cells retain and mobilise water.

Because Rose of Jericho works primarily as a humectant and antioxidant, it is generally well tolerated and can be suitable for dry, dehydrated and sensitive skin types.

How It Works

Rose of Jericho is rich in trehalose, a natural sugar that wraps around skin cells like a protective shield, helping them hold onto water even when conditions turn dry.

It also helps activate the skin's own water channels, encouraging deeper, more consistent hydration to circulate through every layer, so skin doesn't just look hydrated on the surface, it stays balanced from within.

Its antioxidant-rich nature further helps protect the skin from environmental stressors such as pollution and UV exposure, helping to prevent premature signs of ageing.

Why Formulation Matters

Rose of Jericho delivers on its promise when formulated correctly. Get it right, and it provides genuinely long-lasting hydration, get it wrong, and even the best active ingredient falls flat.

That's why we carefully control pH and temperature during production, since overheating can degrade the compounds responsible for its benefits. We pair it with a humectant-rich base to support deeper penetration, rather than letting it sit on the surface.

We also formulate it alongside trehalose and hyaluronic acid to layer hydration at different depths, niacinamide to support the skin barrier, and argan oil to seal it all in.

Scientific Notes

Selaginella lepidophylla, known as the resurrection plant, can survive years without water and spring back to life within hours of rehydration, a survival trick made possible by a cocktail of protective compounds.

At the heart of this resilience are osmoprotectant sugars such as trehalose, which stabilise cell membranes and prevent moisture loss during extreme drought. On skin, trehalose behaves in a similar way, binding water at a cellular level and helping to support the skin's barrier.

The plant also produces rare biflavonoids, including amentoflavone and hinokiflavone, which offer antioxidant support alongside trace minerals and specialised amino acids that help fuel the skin's natural repair processes, as shown in comparative research on Selaginella species.