Human skin is the body’s first line of defense and often mirrors the health, nutritional status and age of a person. Over time, skin shows signs of aging due to the gradual breakdown of collagen and elastin. However, skin can be rebuilt and made healthier no matter one’s age. Natural supplement Pycnogenol, an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, was found to improve skin hydration and elasticity in women in a clinical trial published in Skin Pharmacology and Physiology in January 2012.

The study was conducted at the Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (IUF) in Dusseldorf, Germany and examined 20 healthy women, aged 55–68 years. Participants were given 75 mg of Pycnogenol per day, over a period of 12 weeks. Skin hydration, skin elasticity and skin fatigue were assessed by non-invasive biophysical methods at trial start and after six and 12 weeks. In addition, at the beginning and again after 12 weeks of Pycnogenol supplementation, each time, a biopsy was obtained to assess gene expression of HAS-1 and COL1A1 and COL1A2.

The study found that Pycnogenol elevated COL1A1 by 29% and COL1A2 by 41% and increased hyaluronic acid production in skin by 44%. Pycnogenol also enhanced skin elasticity by 25%, in addition to skin hydration by 8%, and was especially noticeable in women who had dry skin from the start, with an increase of 21%. Additionally, Pycnogenol decreased skin fatigue considerably and reduced skin wrinkles by 3% while increasing skin smoothness by 6%.

Study results confirmed Pycnogenol improved skin at a physiological and molecular level. Pycnogenol increased hyaluronic acid in women by 44% after 12 weeks of supplementation. Hyaluronic acid binds large quantities of water in the skin and in other tissues, such as cartilage. An increased amount of hyaluronic acid explains the increased skin hydration, higher elasticity and overall smoother skin appearance found in women taking Pycnogenol. For further information: www.pycnogenol.com