Red Clover Extract Powder

What Red Clover Extract Powder is

Red Clover Extract Powder is a dry botanical extract made from the herb of Trifolium pratense, using the flowering tops together with the stem. It is a 4:1 extract, which means roughly four parts of dried plant material go into one part of finished extract. The extract is carried on maltodextrin, so the material you receive is a free-flowing olive green powder. The source lot is of Chinese origin, and color and odor can vary slightly between lots, so the lot certificate of analysis is the reference.

For a formulator this format solves a practical problem. Liquid botanical extracts arrive pre-dissolved in glycerin, water or glycols and quietly add those solvents to the formula. A dry extract lets you decide the vehicle yourself and keeps the plant contribution easy to weigh in small batches. It sits alongside our other dry botanicals in the Plant Extract Powders section.

Key properties

Red clover is widely known as a natural source of isoflavones, the plant polyphenols that make it popular in botanical skin and scalp products. The isoflavone content of a 4:1 extract is not a fixed number, and this listing does not state a standardized percentage. If your claim depends on a defined isoflavone level, ask for the lot CoA before you build the formula around it.

The physical side is simpler. The maltodextrin carrier is water soluble, so the powder wets out in the water phase and gives a tinted dispersion. Natural plant solids can leave a slight haze, which is normal for a whole-herb extract and worth checking in clear gels.

Applications

Skin care

The powder fits creams, lotions and gel creams where a botanical story and a soft natural tint are welcome. Wash-off clay masks are another easy home for it, because the green tone blends naturally with kaolin and the opacity of the mask hides any haze.

Hair and scalp care

Red clover is a familiar name in scalp tonics and leave-in conditioners. In these products it is positioned as a botanical conditioning ingredient for the look and feel of hair, without promises about hair growth. If you want a peptide partner for a scalp formula, our Acetyl Tetrapeptide-3 Powder is a common pairing.

How to use

Add the powder to the water phase. Sprinkle it slowly into water while stirring so it hydrates without clumping, then continue mixing until the dispersion is even. Because the carrier is a sugar-based polymer, hold back on very high loads in thin serums, where it can raise tack. The supplier does not publish a recommended use level, so start with a low percentage in a pilot batch, judge color, odor and feel, and adjust from there. Protect the finished product with a broad-spectrum preservative system, since maltodextrin and plant solids are food for microbes in water-based products.

Compatibility and processing notes

The powder works with common nonionic emulsifiers, carbomer and xanthan gels and clay bases. Test the final pH after adding it, because whole-plant extracts can move pH slightly. Heat is best kept moderate. Add it to the water phase below about 40 degrees Celsius when you can, or during cool-down, to protect the color.

Pairing with other dry botanicals is simple, and the olive tone sits well next to the warm purple of Blackcurrant Powder in tinted masks.

Appearance and specifications

Form is a dry powdered extract with a 4:1 ratio. The plant part is the herb, flower and stem. The carrier is maltodextrin and the color is olive green. The INCI name is Trifolium Pratense Extract, Maltodextrin, and CAS numbers are not stated on this page.

Example formula: Red clover clay mask, 100 g

Weigh 62.6 g of distilled water and sprinkle in 2 g of Red Clover Extract Powder while stirring. Add 4 g of glycerin and 0.4 g of xanthan gum premixed into the glycerin, and stir until smooth. Fold in 30 g of kaolin clay a little at a time. Finish with 1 g of a broad-spectrum preservative approved for wash-off products, then check pH and adjust to the preservative's working range. The result is a soft green clay mask that shows the extract's color clearly. Use this as a starting formula and run stability and preservative tests before release.

Storage

Keep the jar tightly closed in a cool, dry place away from light. Maltodextrin-based powders pick up moisture from air, so reseal the jar quickly and use a dry scoop.