Ginger (Zingiber officinale Roscoe) the Dietary Agent in Skin Care: A Review

Ginger the rhizome of Zingiber officinale Roscoe (family Zingiberaceae) is globally one of the most common spices and has been used as a culinary agent for over 1,000 years in Asia (Fig. 11.1). Historical evidences and reports suggest that ginger plants were originally found growing in South-East Asia (today’s Northeast India). In Sanskrit, ginger is known as Sringavera and it is speculated that this term may have given way to Zingiberi in Greek and then to the Latin term Zingiber [1]. Ginger belongs to the family Zingiberaceae that also includes other important plants like turmeric ( Curcuma longa ), galangal or Thai ginger ( Alpinia galanga ), melegueta pepper ( Aframomum melegueta ), myoga ( Zingiber mioga ), and cardamom (Amomum, Elettaria).