Background: With the steadily increasing trend of functional cosmetics consumption, the public is increasingly expecting the efficacy of cosmetics, and in order to meet these consumer needs, the development of various effective raw materials, as well as products through technical convergence research, has been activating focusing on dermatology. In the Republic of Korea, much attention was paid to cosmetic raw materials using human stem cells as a new growth engine at the end of the 2000s. Accordingly, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety implemented the Regulations on Cosmetic Safety Standards, etc., which contains the safety standards of human-derived cell and tissue culture as raw materials for cosmetics. Methods: Twice a day, morning and evening, for 28 days, 3 mL of the sample provided for each subject was applied onto the entire face using an airbrush. The subjects were divided into a control group (C), an experimental group 1 (ADSC-CM 5% group, E1) and an experimental group 2 (polymersome-containing of ADSC-CM 5% group, E2), and there were 20 subjects in each group. Results: Moisture content on the U-zone, melanin and erythema of lid-cheek, overall size and depth of eye wrinkles, and skin roughness of the items showed significant differences among all three groups. More specifically, E1 had a higher rate of skin improvement than C, and E2 had the highest skin improvement rate in all items: skin moisture content, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), melanin and erythema of lid-cheek, eye wrinkles, and skin roughness of lid-cheek. Conclusions: The effectiveness of ADSC-CM was verified in all items: increases in moisture content, decrease in TEWL, and improvements of whitening and wrinkles. Moreover, the effectiveness of ADSC-CM was observed as higher in samples of polymersome-containing ADSC-CM than those of raw material ADSC-CM. Furthermore, percutaneous absorption was improved compared with previous studies on formulations in relation to polymersome at the same concentration of ADSC-CM, thereby resulting in higher effectiveness. Trial registration: Korea National Institute for Bioethics Policy, P01–201809–13-001, Registered 06 September 2018, http://public.irb.or.kr/.

Melanin overexpression causes skin hyperpigmentation, which is associated with various skin disorders and cosmetic concerns. Umbelliferone, a natural coumarin found widely in plant species, has been noted for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects but has received little attention for its impact on melanogenesis. Here, the effects of umbelliferone on melanogenesis were investigated in vitro and in clinical studies. The results showed that umbelliferone was non-cytotoxic to human skin and B16F10 melanoma cells. It also exhibited significant anti-melanogenic effects, reducing both melanin production and tyrosinase activity in a dose-dependent manner. This effect was achieved through a decrease in tyrosinase mRNA levels. Furthermore, umbelliferone in a formulation was stable under different temperature conditions, and after four weeks of topical application, it significantly decreased the melanin index and increased skin lightness (L*) values compared to those at the baseline. Overall, these findings demonstrate the potential of umbelliferone as a promising skin-lightening agent in the cosmetics industry.

Polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN), a DNA fragment mixture, exerts biological effects via adenosine A2A receptor and salvage pathway activation. Here, Paeonia lactiflora-derived PDRN (Peony PDRN) is proposed as a plant-based alternative to salmon-derived PDRN. While P. lactiflora is known for its medicinal properties, the biological functions of Peony PDRN have not been characterized. To validate and optimize its efficacy, we systematically compared the biological activities of three molecular weight groups of Peony PDRN (high, medium, and low) using in vitro assays and clinical studies. The low-molecular-weight fraction (Low-Peony PDRN) markedly enhanced skin cell proliferation and migration, upregulated extracellular matrix-related genes (COL1A1, COL5A1, ELN, and FBN1), and promoted keratinocyte differentiation and epidermal barrier formation by increasing COL7A1, IVL, FLG, and OCLN expression. It also reduced reactive oxygen species levels and suppressed key inflammatory mediators. Clinically, topical application of Low-Peony PDRN for 2 weeks markedly reduced transepidermal water loss in a sodium lauryl sulfate-induced skin damage model, enhancing barrier recovery (n = 10). Periorbital skin elasticity improved after 4 weeks of treatment (Approval No. Intertek IRB-202505-HR(1)-0001, 20 June 2025). These results indicate that Low-Peony PDRN is a promising plant-derived biomaterial of pharmacological and cosmetic significance, with potential to address skin aging.

Saussurea involucrata, commonly known as snow lotus, is a rare medicinal plant that is traditionally used in several countries owing to its therapeutic properties. Snow lotus extracts have been shown to exert anti-inflammatory effects and reduce reactive oxygen species levels. Although various bioactive compounds have been identified in snow lotus, the biological activity and underlying mechanisms of DNA isolated from this plant remain unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the skin-regenerative properties of polydeoxyribonucleotide (PDRN) isolated from snow lotus. PDRN was extracted and purified from dried flowers of S. involucrata. Water-soluble tetrazolium salt 1, wound healing, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays were used to evaluate the effects of snow lotus PDRN on cell proliferation, cell migration, and collagen synthesis, respectively. We also measured matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) mRNA expression after snow lotus PDRN treatment. Snow lotus-derived PDRN was non-cytotoxic to human skin cells and significantly promoted cell proliferation and migration. Additionally, it enhanced collagen synthesis by suppressing the expression of MMP1. These findings demonstrate that snow lotus PDRN may be a promising anti-aging agent and may serve as a valuable ingredient in cosmeceutical formulations.

The development of the beauty industry has been accelerated by the combination of the basic desire of humans to look beautiful and the trend of the age in which the down-aging phenomenon is caused by an aging society. Previously, therapy, which has been provided by experts, has now expanded and changed its category into everyday home care. Thus, skin care devices became common and widespread. Also, public attention has been focused on functional cosmetics such as whitening and wrinkling improvements of a home care product. However, the results of validation of the effectiveness of functional components and the use of skin care devices are rare. Middle-aged women were asked to apply 3 mL of ampule containing niacinamide 2% and adenosine 0.04% to the face twice a day, once in the morning and the other in the evening, for 4 weeks. The control group (C) was asked to apply using hands while the experimental group (E) was asked to apply using airbrush. The moisture content of the entire face has increased in all clusters, resulting from a combination of the moisture content of the niacinamide and the increase in the collagen content of the adenosine. L* was increased in all groups, but only E showed significant results. a* was increased in C and showed a significant decrease in E only. b* decreased in group C and increased in group E. The overall size of the wrinkles, the depth of the wrinkles, and the width of the wrinkles showed significant improvements in all groups, with higher rates of improvement in E. This study produced verification results on whitening effects of niacinamide, wrinkling improvement of adenosine, and the usefulness of air brushes. Previously, dermal absorption studies on soluble ingredients of cosmetics were limited to iontophoresis, while various methods of study design on the dispensing and physical effects of fine particles were expected. It also recommends a research design approach that is practical for home care, rather than approach using a professional program on the usefulness of skin care device. Korea National Institute for Bioethics Policy, P01-201711-13-002, registered 16 November 2017, http://public.irb.or.kr /.

Background: High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) quantifies dermal skin density well, yet the low-echogenic (hypoechoic) regions in the image have not been treated as having informative value. Analyzing HFUS B-scans, we found that skins with near-identical aggregate density can differ markedly in their hypoechoic area fraction. To capture this, we introduce the dermal echo-void (DEV) area fraction index, a computer-assisted parameter measuring hypoechoic voids within a fixed 0.45 mm superficial-dermis band (T45), and assess its reproducibility and non-redundancy with skin density. Methods: In a single-arm proof-of-concept study of 23 Korean women, DEV and density were computed from the same 22 MHz B-scans. Results: DEV was reproducible across analysis-band depths (ICC = 0.93, 95% CI 0.86–0.97). Although DEV correlated inversely with density (r = −0.675), the two measures were non-redundant: among 39 density-matched pairs (Δ ≤ 1 percentage point), DEV differed by a mean of 5.6 percentage points. After one application, density rose +16.44% and DEV fell −35.75% (both p < 0.001). A secondary density–pigmentation association was non-significant (Spearman ρ = −0.224, p = 0.485). Conclusions: DEV is a reproducible, spatially resolved complement to HFUS skin density that captures dermal structure beyond an aggregate value. How the hypoechoic fraction relates to melanocyte-associated dermal processes warrants histologically validated study.