Cosmeceuticals in photoaging: A review

Background: Photoaging is a process of the architecture of normal skin damaged by ultraviolet radiation. Topical cosmeceuticals have been used to treat this condition. The authors aimed to understand the mechanism and level of evidence of different commonly used cosmeceuticals used to treat photodamaged skin.

Objective: A range of commonly used topical cosmeceuticals (botanicals, peptides, and hydroquinone) has been used in cosmetic medicine for many years to treat photodamaged skin. This review article compares their efficacy and level of evidence.

Material and methods: This study was a systematic review to evaluate the efficacy of different topical cosmeceuticals. Keywords including "Photoaging," "Azelaic acid," "Soy," "Green Tea," "Chamomile," "Ginkgo," "Tea Tree Oil," "Resveratrol," "Cucumber," "Ginseng," "Centella asiatica," "Licorice Root," "Aloe Vera," "Peptides," "Argireline," "Hydroquinone," were typed on OVID, PUBMED, MEDLINE for relevant studies published on photoaging treatment.

Results: Most of the evidence behind cosmeceuticals is of high-quality ranging from Level I to Level II. In particular, the evidence base behind peptides is the strongest with most studies achieving Level Ib status in the evidence hierarchy.

Conclusion: Topical cosmeceuticals like botanicals, peptides and hydroquinone can effectively treat photodamaged skin.