Effect of the Oral Administration of Common Evening Primrose Sprout (Oenothera biennis L.) Extract on Skin Function Improvement in UVB-irradiated Hairless Mice

A review of factors influencing sensitive skin: an emphasis on built environment characteristics

Background

Sensitive skin (SS) is a condition characterized by hyperreactivity. Impacting around 37 percent of the worldwide population and exerting an influence on the quality of life for affected individuals. Its prevalence rate has increased due to factors such as elevating stress levels and deteriorating environmental conditions. The exposome factors influencing SS have extended from demographic, biological attributes, and lifestyle to external environments. Built environments (BEs) have demonstrated as root drivers for changes in behaviors and environmental exposure which have the potential to trigger SS, but the review of the associations between BEs and SS is currently lacking.

Objective

This review aims to achieve two primary objectives: (1) Examine exposome factors that exert influence on SS at the individual and environmental levels. (2) Develop a theoretical framework that establishes a connection between BEs and SS, thereby offering valuable insights into the impact of the built environment on this condition.

Methods

An extensive literature search was carried out across multiple fields, including sociology, epidemiology, basic medicine, clinical medicine, and environmental research, with a focus on SS. To identify pertinent references, renowned databases such as PubMed, Web of Science, and CNKI were utilized.

Results

SS is the outcome of interactions between individual attributes and environmental factors. These influencing factors can be categorized into five distinct classes: (1) demographic and socioeconomic characteristics including age, gender, and race; (2) physiological and biological attributes such as emotional changes, skin types, sleep disorders, and menstrual cycles in women; (3) behavioral factors, such as spicy diet, cosmetic use, alcohol consumption, and physical exercise; (4) natural environmental features, including climate conditions and air pollution; (5) built environmental features such as population density, green space availability, road network density, and access to public transportation, also have the potential to affect the condition.

Conclusion

The importance of interdisciplinary integration lies in its ability to ascertain whether and how BEs are impacting SS. By elucidating the role of BEs in conjunction with other factors in the onset of SS, we can provide guidance for future research endeavors and the formulation of interventions aimed at mitigating the prevalence of SS.

Efficacy and safety of oral palmitoleic acid supplementation for skin barrier improvement: A 12-week, randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study

Background

Palmitoleic acid (omega-7) has been reported to be effective primarily for metabolic disorders. Recently, it has been reported to help improve quality of life (QoL) by improving skin symptoms.

Objective

The aim of this randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of oral palmitoleic acid in improving skin barrier, elasticity, and wrinkle formation in adult women.

Methods

In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical study, 90 healthy participants were enrolled and received 500 mg/day palmitoleic acid (intervention) or corn oil without palmitoleic acid (control) for 12 weeks. Skin hydration and transepidermal water loss and skin elasticity, surface roughness, eye wrinkle volume, and wrinkle severity were measured at 6-week intervals to assess the skin barrier function and efficacy in wrinkle improvement, respectively.

Results

After 12 weeks, skin hydration and transepidermal water loss significantly improved in the intervention group compared to the control group. Skin elasticity, surface roughness, eye wrinkle volume, wrinkle severity, and participant-assessed clinical improvement score did not significantly improve compared with the control group.

Conclusion

Oral palmitoleic acid effectively improves the skin barrier function improvement, which may enhance QoL in aging adults.

Photoprotective Effect of Fermented and Aged Mountain-Cultivated Ginseng Sprout (Panax ginseng) on Ultraviolet Radiation-Induced Skin Aging in a Hairless Mouse Model

Interest in foods that promote inner beauty increases with increases in exposure to ultraviolet (UV) rays and with improvements in quality of life. This study was performed to evaluate the efficacy of fermented and aged mountain-cultivated ginseng sprouts (FAMCGSs), which have higher anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects compared to mountain-cultivated ginseng sprouts (MCGSs), as an inner beauty enhancing food. The effect of orally administered FAMCGSs on UV type B (UVB) radiation-induced skin aging was investigated in a hairless mouse model through analyzing skin parameters including epidermal thickness, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), roughness, moisture, elasticity, and collagen contents. The mice exposed to UVB had markedly greater epidermal thickness, TEWL, and skin roughness than those of the normal control (NC) group. In addition, the levels of collagen, skin moisture, and dermal elasticity were lower in the UVB radiation group than the NC group. These UVB-induced skin aging parameters were significantly lower in the groups administered FAMCGSs than in the groups not administered FAMCGSs (p < 0.05). These results show that FAMCGSs exhibit a photoprotective effect in mice exposed to UVB and suggest that FAMCGSs can be used as a food that promotes inner beauty and protects skin from UVB-induced photoaging.