Unlocking the Health Secrets of Cherry Blossoms: Exploring the Uses and Benefits of Prunus yedoensis Extract (Somei-Yoshino)

March is coming soon, and that means that the season of sakura is starting soon too! If you are visiting Japan during this period, you may often see sakura flowers blooming almost everywhere around. However, you may not have known that one of the most common sakura cherry blossoms in Japan is actually a hybrid species (Shirasawa et al., 2019), termed as Prunus yedoensis, or also known as ‘Somei-Yoshino’ (JNTO, 2023). While cherry blossoms are visually appealing to the eye, their flowers can be turned into an extract and consumed too. Various products are currently in the market using the extract of cherry blossom, ranging from a moisturizing jelly cream, smoothing mask, to a cleansing oil. Let’s dive into the journey of uncovering the science behind the health benefits in consuming these cherry blossoms (specifically on ‘Somei-Yoshino’)!