Abstract
The desire to maintain a youthful appearance in an aging population has accelerated several advancements in the cosmeceuticals market. The term cosmeceutical defines products containing bioactive substances that cannot be considered cosmetics or drugs. A variety of ingredients have been used in cosmeceuticals to improve the health and appearance of aged skin, and during the past decade, the utility of botanical natural products have gained much attention in the West. Throughout this review, the skin aging, and photoaging are discussed, mechanisms which underlie these processes are explored, and treatment options using natural plant extracts are examined.
Highlights
Improved life conditions as well as medical and technological developments have led to an increase in life expectancy, with a higher number of people living to a comparatively longer life, with the elderly population becoming a significantly higher proportion of the population in many countries (Giacomoni, 2005)
This model focuses on observations indicating that the majority of factors identified to speed up skin aging share common features, such as the ability to initiate the synthesis of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) in endothelial cells
The extract of the Polypodium leucotomos (PL), a fern plant grown in Central America, was found to contain active components which include a variety of phenolic compounds such as p-coumaric, ferulic, caffeic, vanillic, and chlorogenic acids (Gombau et al, 2006)
Summary
Improved life conditions as well as medical and technological developments have led to an increase in life expectancy, with a higher number of people living to a comparatively longer life, with the elderly population becoming a significantly higher proportion of the population in many countries (Giacomoni, 2005). A commonly accepted definition of aging is the accumulation of molecular damage with time (Giacomoni, 1992). Research employing this model definition has been able to make several advances in understanding the mechanisms of skin aging, given the easy access to skin tissues. While slowing the aging processes of the skin will help maintain a youthful appearance, but it will have beneficial effects for the whole body. The skin is an ideal model for studying the onset of aging because it is the easiest organ to observe, and aging of the skin is not a life-threatening process (Giacomoni, 2005)
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