Kale Extract in Skincare: What It Does and Why We Use It
Kale extract is an antioxidant-rich plant extract made from kale leaves, listed on labels as Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract. Think of it as a supporting player rather than a headliner: it won't replace your vitamin C or retinol, but it earns its place in gentle, calming formulas.
What is kale extract?
It's a concentrated preparation of kale leaves, the same leafy green you'd find in a salad, put through an extraction process so the useful plant compounds end up in a form a formula can use. On an ingredient list you'll see it as Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract.
Kale sits in the same plant family as broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower. That's worth knowing because a lot of the research out there is on those cousins, and we try to keep the two apart when we talk about what the science shows.
What does kale extract do for skin?
Kale is packed with polyphenols, the plant compounds that act as antioxidants. A 2023 lab study measured them in kale leaf extracts and found kaempferol and quercetin (two well-known flavonoids) and sinapic acid, with more kaempferol and quercetin than in wild cabbage. In a test-tube antioxidant assay, the extract held its own (Lučić et al., Molecules 2023).
In plain terms: kale extract brings the same kind of antioxidant chemistry you'll recognise from green tea and berries, which is why formulators like it in products aimed at skin that's easily unsettled. It's a helpful, low-drama ingredient.
Here's where we keep it honest. Most of the evidence is lab work, so we'd never sell it as a wrinkle fixer or a miracle botanical. We'd call it a sensible antioxidant supporter for a calming routine, and that's exactly how we use it.
Why we use kale extract
Kale extract sits in our Calming Collagen line, alongside quinoa seed extract and parsley seed extract. We wanted a gentle antioxidant option for that range, and plant extracts like this are how our formulator adds antioxidant support without reaching for anything aggressive.
Our view: in a calming formula, the goal isn't a dramatic active. It's a gentle, well-rounded base that your skin can tolerate day after day. Kale extract fits that brief.
Who is kale extract good for?
Anyone who likes the idea of a plant-based antioxidant in a gentle routine, including people with sensitive or easily reactive skin who want to avoid heavy hitters.
Take a little extra care if you react easily to botanical ingredients, or you know you're allergic to plants in the cabbage family. As with any plant extract, a small number of people may react.
If you're pregnant or breastfeeding, check new products with your doctor or pharmacist first. If irritation shows up, stop using the product.
How do you use it?
You don't apply kale extract on its own. It's an ingredient inside a finished product, so follow the directions on that product. Our best advice for any new skincare: patch test first (here's how to patch test skincare properly) and add one new product at a time so you can tell what your skin likes.
What does it pair with?
Plenty. Kale extract is a team player and sits comfortably in a simple routine alongside a gentle cleanser, a hydrating serum and sunscreen.
It works in the same lane as other antioxidant plant extracts such as green tea extract and pomegranate extract. We keep layering simple: one new thing at a time.
What does the research say?
The short version: promising chemistry, early evidence.
- Kale itself (lab): The 2023 Croatian study above found polyphenol-rich leaf extracts with antioxidant activity. The extract didn't affect the growth of normal human skin cells at the concentration tested (Lučić et al., Molecules 2023).
- Cabbage (animal): A 2024 rat study found ointments made with cabbage extract (Brassica oleracea var. capitata, a close relative, not kale) were linked to better burn-wound healing markers (Miranda et al., Cosmetics 2024).
- Broccoli (cell culture): A 2024 study found broccoli by-product extract reduced oxidative stress and inflammatory signals in UVB-exposed skin cells (Borja-Martínez et al., Antioxidants 2024).
Cousins aren't kale, and none of this tells you how a finished product will perform. Treat it as a good reason the ingredient is interesting, not a promise.
Safety and regulation
The US Cosmetic Ingredient Review lists kale seed oil as safe as used (CIR quick reference table), but that's a different material from the leaf extract. In Australia, cosmetic ingredients fall under AICIS, which expects every ingredient, including botanicals, to be on the AICIS Inventory (AICIS guidance for cosmetics).
Kale extract in Dope Skin Co products
You'll find it in the Calming Collagen Tonic and Calming Collagen Serum, and in the 3-Step and 5-Step Calming Skin Kits. Check each product page for the full ingredient list.
Not sure where to start? Take our skincare quiz.
Frequently asked questions
Is kale extract the same as eating kale?
No. What you eat and what you put on your skin work differently, so the benefits of eating kale don't carry over to skincare.
What is kale extract called on an ingredient list?
Brassica Oleracea Acephala Leaf Extract. Kale seed oil is a separate ingredient.
Is kale extract good for sensitive skin?
It's a gentle, commonly used plant extract and a good fit for calming formulas. Any plant extract can irritate someone, so patch test first.
Does kale extract have a CIR safety report?
CIR has assessed kale seed oil, not the leaf extract.
Is kale extract good for anti-ageing?
It's an antioxidant, and antioxidants are a smart part of a longer-term routine. We wouldn't call it an anti-ageing treatment on its own, as there are no human trials on kale extract and skin ageing.
Related ingredients
Browse our sensitive skin collection.
Sources
- Lučić D, Pavlović I, Brkljačić L, et al. Antioxidant and Antiproliferative Activities of Kale (Brassica oleracea var. acephala) and Wild Cabbage (Brassica incana) Polyphenolic Extracts. Molecules 2023;28(4):1840. Link
- Miranda LL, Sarandy MM, Altoé LS, et al. Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Potential of Brassica oleracea Accelerates Third-Degree Burn Healing in Rats. Cosmetics 2024;11(1):27. Link
- Borja-Martínez M, Pedreño MA, Sabater-Jara AB. Broccoli Byproduct Extracts Attenuate the Expression of UVB-Induced Proinflammatory Cytokines in HaCaT Keratinocytes. Antioxidants 2024;13(12):1479. Link
- Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Quick Reference Table of safety assessment conclusions. 2017 posting. Link
- AICIS. I make or import cosmetics: do I need to register with AICIS? Link
