Straight from the department of didn’t-see-that-coming: Science may have just given us a plant-based alternative to Botox. Thanks to a new discovery, scientists are suggesting that maple leaf extract might have a similar effect to the dermatologist-office mainstay.
For some background, your skin loses its elasticity when an enzyme called elastase breaks down elastin proteins and result in wrinkles. Researchers found that maple leaves (of all things) contain a phenolic compound known as glucitol-core-containing gallotannins (GCGs), which can inhibit elastase activity when slathered on skin.
