In short: In skincare, “plant stem cells” are extracts of plant cells grown in the lab from a plant’s growth tissue. In the INCI they appear as … Cell Culture. They are not living cells and they don’t turn into skin cells. They bring plant ingredients into your care without the plant having to be harvested.
What are plant stem cells?
At their growing tips, plants have a tissue that keeps forming new cells: the meristem. These cells can be multiplied in the lab, in a nutrient solution and without any field. This cell culture is turned into an extract that goes into creams. Because the original cells can divide and specialise, the industry calls them “stem cells”.
What can they do, and what can’t they?
To be honest, the topic is often overhyped. Plant stem cells don’t replace human stem cells and don’t turn into skin cells. In the cream, they are no longer living cells. What they bring are the plant’s ingredients, such as antioxidants. That makes them a caring ingredient, not a miracle.
One real advantage is where they come from: the cell culture needs no harvest. That matters especially for rare or protected plants, such as edelweiss, which is protected in the Alps.
Raspberry leaf and edelweiss at Dr. Förster
- Raspberry leaf cell culture (INCI: Rubus Idaeus Leaf Cell Culture) is in our Day Cream, Day Cream SPF 10, Night Cream and Eye Cream.
- Edelweiss cell culture (INCI: Leontopodium Alpinum Meristem Cell Culture) is in our Night Cream and Eye Cream.
In all of these carefully composed creams, organic aloe vera juice (not from concentrate) also comes first in the INCI; in the Eye Cream it is organic coconut water.
Not just any ingredient. A deliberate choice. Devoted to your skin since 1927.
How to spot plant stem cells in the INCI
Look for Cell Culture, Meristem Cell Culture or Callus Culture, preceded by the plant’s Latin name. If the pack says “stem cells” but none of these appear in the INCI, it’s worth a second look.
Frequently asked questions
Are plant stem cells real stem cells?
They are cells from a plant’s growth tissue, multiplied in the lab. In the cream they are an extract, not living cells.
Do plant stem cells work like the skin’s own stem cells?
No. They can’t replace or activate human stem cells. They are a caring plant ingredient in the formula.
Why edelweiss from cell culture?
Edelweiss only grows wild in the mountains and is protected. The cell culture makes the plant usable for skincare without picking it.
As of October 2026. The full INCI of every product is on its product page.