Mimosa hostilis, syn. Mimosa tenuiflora — also known as ‘Jurema’.

Given the popularity of the various Mimosa hostilis (syn. Mimosa tenuiflora) bark and seeds that we sell in our store, we thought it was high time we wrote an introductory guide to making the famous Mexican ‘Tepezcohuite’ cream! However, don’t worry if you’re more interested in soap making than cosmetic lotions, as we’ve previously published a guide to making ‘Tepezcohuite’ soap too.

Used in various forms for centuries by many Mexican and South American peoples, ‘Tepezcohuite’ (the Mexican name for Mimosa hostilis) bark is believed — although not definitively demonstrated — to possess highly desirable skincare and healing qualities, due to the complex combination and levels of chemicals which it contains.

These chemicals include flavonoids (antioxidants which can help repair skin damage caused by UV radiation and other environmental factors), glucosides (which can improve skin health by acting as cleansers), lipids (which increase skin hydration by boosting the moisture barrier), tannins (believed to soothe skin, reduce inflammation and slow the skin’s aging process) and xylose (which boosts moisture and can enhance skin cell function). Other compounds reported to be present in typical Mimosa hostilis bark include many different alkaloids, arabinose, kukulkanins, lupeol, methoxychalcones, phytosterols, rhamnose and saponins.

Whether your intention is to make a cream, lotion, ointment or salve (why not try making them all — even Hollywood actress Salma Hayek fronts her own ‘Tepezcohuite’ range these days!), the first phase of the process is to extract the Mimosa hostilis root bark in water. The resulting light-yellow liquid can reasonably be expected to have a shelf life of approximately three or four months when properly stored away from light, heat and other oxidising agents; two or three years when mixed with some kind of preservative agent (e.g. phenoxyethanol). This extract contains all the plant’s natural goodness and is quite astringent in its action. Consequently, it’s generally recommended to use no more than five or ten percent of the Mimosa extract when mixing it with other ingredients to make cosmetic or other skincare products.