Topical and oral hyaluronic acid could be effective anti-aging treatment

A research team out of Italy, Carlomagno et al, recently published a study in Cosmetics evaluating the effectiveness of both external and internal use of hyaluronic acid as a treatment for skin aging.

According to Carlomagno et al, hyaluronic acid is naturally occurring in the skin but decreases with age. One study showed a 75-year-old person had less than a quarter of the naturally occurring hyaluronic acid as a 19-year-old person.

In the skin of the oldest subjects, hyaluronic acid is still present in the dermis but not in the epidermis, which may cause a loss of skin moisture.

“Hyaluronic acid has long been used for its anti-age properties, as an ingredient in both topical applications and food supplements,” Carlomagno et al said. “In this study, a novel sodium hyaluronate … was administered as an ingredient of a cosmetic product and as the main constituent of a food supplement to evaluate its efficacy in counteracting skin aging signs.”

Carlomango et al said the ingredient is similar to the hyaluronic acid already present in the skin.

Results

The clinical study found both the skincare product and food supplement improved skin aging signs including skin hydration distribution, skin firmness, wrinkle depth and skin smoothness.

However, Carlomango et al said skin condition more significantly increased in the subjects who were being treated both orally and topically with the hyaluronic acid ingredient.

“The novelty of this clinical study also relies on the in and out approach, i.e., a concomitant supply of the same active ingredient, hyaluronic acid, through two different routes: topical and oral,” Carlomango et al said.

The research team said studying both topical and oral treatment at the same time allowed them to evaluate both the rapidness of anti-aging effects and improvement of skin hydration and the long-lasting effect of the hyaluronic acid ingredient on skin regeneration.

Carlomango et al said data collected in the follow-up period suggested the two-pronged treatment may have a long-lasting effect by replenishing hyaluronic acid levels through multiple channels and mechanisms.

Moving forward

The research team said the study had several limitations that could warrant further research.

One limitation was “the lack of a ‘true’ placebo treatment,” particularly with the cosmetic product.

Carlomango also said the testing period may have been too short to effectively evaluate the impact of the food supplement. A long-term study could better measure the effects of the oral treatment on skin elasticity, wrinkles and smoothness.

The design of the current test was built around the theory that consumers are looking for fast-acting skincare treatments.

The clinical tests also only included white female participants.

Source: Cosmetics

Author: Federica Carlomagno et al

Title: Anti-Skin-Aging Effect of a Treatment with a Cosmetic Product and a Food Supplement Based on a New Hyaluronan: A Randomized Clinical Study in Healthy Women

Cosmetics 2022, 9(3), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/cosmetics9030054