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• Plant species content in CosIng database were analyzed. • The plant biodiversity of Latin America is the center of interest. • The properties of the potential are confirmed by in vitro assays. • Bixa orellana, Theobroma cacao and Eugenia stipitata had the highest skin protective activity. • Latin American plants with possible cosmetic application in short time is presented. Although Latin America is one of the regions with the greatest plant diversity on the planet and, its commercial exploitation has not impacted the economic growth of Latin American countries, with the exception of Brazil. The great plant biodiversity of Latin American countries is an opportunity for the development of sustainable and innovative cosmetic ingredients and products. Some studies have focused on identifying the potential cosmetic use of Latin American plants. However, their commercial use is not possible due to their limited availability as raw materials, their safety has not been proven, and their lack of inclusion in international lists. This study analyzed plant species in the CosIng database for UV-filtering, UV-absorbing, bleaching, skin-protecting, and antioxidant functions and assayed the properties of potential plants by in vitro assays to promote the cosmetic use of biodiverse Latin American plants. The results showed that the majority of cosmetic ingredients listed in CosIng are from Asiatic plants, while 9 % are from Latin American plants. Approximately half of the registered plants in CosIng are commercialized as cosmetic ingredients. In addition, 28 % of the plants registered in CosIng occur in Colombia, but of these, only 30 % are native. The experimental analysis showed that the Bixa orellana, Theobroma cacao, and Eugenia stipitata extracts had the highest skin protective activity due to their capacity to inhibit collagenase, elastase, and hyaluronidase enzymes. B. orellana and Euterpe oleracea extracts showed the highest antioxidant capacity, phenol contents, and spectrophotometric sun protection factor (SPF spectrophotometric) values. B. orellana, E. oleracea, and E. stipitata extracts showed photoprotective properties in human dermal fibroblasts due to the reduction of cell death, matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) production, and reactive oxygen spices (ROS) production and an increase in pro-collagen production after ultraviolet (UV) exposure. Finally, a list of Latin American plants with possible cosmetic applications is presented proving the great potential of Latin American plant biodiversity and its low commercial exploitation in the cosmetic industry. This study evidences the antioxidant and skin protecting actions of Latin American plants and it is presented as a tool for the identification of vegetable species of Latin American biodiversity with potential cosmetic use to sustainable and short-term commercial exploitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]