Skin aging is one of the most visible manifestations of the body’s overall aging process and is closely linked to changes in cellular renewal, barrier function, and inflammatory balance. Recent clinical research has drawn attention to trans-resveratrol, a naturally occurring plant polyphenol, for its potential role in supporting skin health. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study published in Frontiers in Aging in 2025 reported that trans-resveratrol, administered orally and/or topically, was associated with improvements in visible signs of skin aging in healthy women over 40. This article reviews the study findings and introduces the biological background of resveratrol, while also discussing other nutritional ingredients that have been studied for their roles in skin structure, antioxidant defense, and barrier support. The discussion is intended for scientific and educational purposes and does not replace professional medical advice.
Trans-Resveratrol and Improvements in Skin Aging
Aging is a natural physiological process. As age increases, the rate of cellular renewal in the human body gradually slows down, and a series of changes occur in both internal physiological status and external appearance. Because the skin is an organ that is continuously and long-term exposed to the external environment, its aging often appears earliest and most visibly, such as accelerated moisture loss, reduced elasticity, and decreased sebum secretion. More importantly, the skin is not only an “appearance organ,” but also one of the body’s most important physical and immune barriers. When the skin barrier function is impaired, external microorganisms and irritants can more easily invade the body, thereby triggering or aggravating local and even systemic inflammatory responses.
Resveratrol is a natural polyphenolic compound widely found in grapes, peanuts, and various plants, and has been extensively studied for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory biological activities. In December 2025, a study published in Frontiers in Aging reported that trans-resveratrol reduced visible signs of skin aging in healthy adult women over the age of 40.
Image source: Frontiers in Aging
Resveratrol Helps Improve Skin Aging
This was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. The research team randomly divided healthy women aged 40 and above into four groups: oral placebo + topical placebo (P/P group), oral trans-resveratrol + topical placebo (A/P group), oral placebo + topical trans-resveratrol (P/A group), and oral plus topical trans-resveratrol combination group (A/A group). Participants took capsules twice daily (each capsule containing 75 mg of trans-resveratrol) and applied a cream topically (1 g containing 1.5% trans-resveratrol) for 8 weeks. Multiple skin parameters were assessed at baseline and during the intervention, and serum tests were conducted at weeks 4 and 8.
The results showed that during the 8-week intervention period, wrinkle scores in all groups decreased compared to baseline. However, compared with the double placebo group (P/P group), the oral plus topical trans-resveratrol group (A/A group) showed a more significant reduction in wrinkle scores at week 8. At the same time, sebum secretion levels in all intervention groups showed an upward trend. Among them, the P/A and A/A groups containing topical trans-resveratrol had significantly higher U-zone sebum levels at week 8 compared with their corresponding topical placebo groups. In addition, regarding pigmentation as an indicator of skin health, the P/A and A/A groups showed significantly greater improvement from baseline compared with the P/P group.
U-zone sebum score
Serum test results further showed that at weeks 4 and 8, the levels of trans-resveratrol conjugates in the serum of the A/P and A/A groups with oral intervention were significantly higher than those in the non-oral P/P and P/A groups, suggesting that orally administered trans-resveratrol had good absorption in the body.
Overall, whether administered orally or topically, trans-resveratrol performed better than placebo interventions in improving facial skin health. The combination of topical and oral trans-resveratrol (A/A group) showed superior effects in reducing wrinkles compared with oral or topical use alone.
These results are also consistent with previous animal experiments. In mouse models, trans-resveratrol protected mice from UVB-induced epidermal thickening and wrinkle formation.
Resveratrol: A Plant “Defense Molecule” and Broader Health Research
Resveratrol is a naturally occurring plant polyphenol compound belonging to the stilbene class. It is a type of antimicrobial secondary metabolite synthesized by plants in response to external stresses such as mechanical injury, ultraviolet radiation, or fungal infection, and is therefore also known as a plant “defense molecule.”
In 1940, Japanese scholar Michio Takaoka first isolated resveratrol from the rhizome of Veratrum grandiflorum. Naturally occurring resveratrol mainly exists in four forms: trans-resveratrol, cis-resveratrol, trans-resveratrol glycoside, and cis-resveratrol glycoside. Among them, trans-resveratrol is considered the primary biologically active form and is the most studied and applied in current research.
Resveratrol is widely present in various plants, such as peanut skins, red grapes, and certain berries, and can also be detected in dark chocolate and red wine. However, from an industrial and commercial application perspective, Polygonum cuspidatum (Japanese knotweed), due to its high resveratrol content and stable supply, has become one of the most important and widely used plant sources for industrial resveratrol production.
Beyond the field of skin anti-aging, resveratrol has also shown potential effects in anti-inflammatory activity, cardiovascular health support, metabolic regulation, and neuroprotection.
In terms of neuroprotection, review studies suggest that resveratrol may exert potential regulatory effects on neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease by activating SIRT1-related pathways, improving mitochondrial quality, and reducing neuroinflammation. It may reduce the expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and thus help modulate inflammatory responses in the central nervous system. Additionally, some studies have found that resveratrol can regulate the expression of specific microRNAs (miRNAs), thereby influencing genes associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
Regarding cardiovascular health, multiple studies collectively indicate that resveratrol may play a positive role in vascular protection and cardiovascular health through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and endothelial function–modulating pathways. It can increase the expression and activity of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), thereby promoting the production of nitric oxide (NO). NO, as an important vasodilator, plays a key role in maintaining endothelial function, improving vascular elasticity, and regulating blood pressure.
Additional Ingredients Studied for Skin Anti-Aging Support
Ingredients: Collagen, hyaluronic acid, ceramides, lycopene, anthocyanins/proanthocyanidins, astaxanthin, β-glucan, olive polyphenols, tea polyphenols, etc.
1) Collagen
The benefit of increased sebum secretion lies in its role in maintaining skin health: sebum forms a barrier on the skin surface, reduces water loss, and helps keep the skin hydrated. Collagen is the most abundant structural protein in the human body, accounting for more than 70% of the dry weight of the skin, and plays a central role in maintaining skin elasticity, strength, and barrier integrity.
Recent studies suggest that collagen peptides can support skin health, mainly in the following ways:
-
They can reduce the expression and activation of MMPs (especially MMP-1, MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-9, and MMP-12) after exposure to UVB radiation, thereby increasing the synthesis of collagen and elastic fibers and reducing collagen fragments;
-
They can stimulate the chemotaxis and proliferation of dermal fibroblasts, leading to the production of dermal components such as hyaluronic acid, elastic fibers, and collagen, thereby increasing skin elasticity and hydration and reducing wrinkles;
-
They may help inhibit pigmentation and contribute to reducing redness.
2) Proanthocyanidins
Proanthocyanidins are a class of polyphenolic compounds widely found in plants, with main sources including grape seeds, blueberries, cranberries, and pine bark. They are known for their strong antioxidant capacity, efficiently scavenging free radicals and reducing oxidative stress–related damage to cells and tissues.
In the field of skin health, proanthocyanidins are believed to inhibit the degradation of collagen and elastin, and to slow the skin aging process triggered by ultraviolet radiation and inflammation by regulating the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). In a D-galactose–induced skin aging mouse model, sea buckthorn proanthocyanidins increased the relative content of collagen and elastin by regulating the TGF-β1/Smad pathway and the balance between MMPs and TIMPs, helping maintain the structure of elastic fibers and thereby improving age-related degenerative skin changes.
References
-
Rao A, Briskey D, Roche G, et al. Trans-resveratrol reduces visible signs of skin ageing in healthy adult females over 40: An 8-week randomized placebo-controlled trial. Frontiers in Aging, 2025, 6:1727244. https://doi.org/10.3389/fragi.2025.1727244
-
Kim J., Oh J., Averilla J. N., Kim H. J., Kim J. S., and Kim J. S. (2019). Grape peel extract and resveratrol inhibit wrinkle formation in mice model through activation of Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway. J. Food Sci. 84 (6), 1600–1608. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.14643
-
Liu X, Yuen M, Yuen T, Yuen H, Wang M, Peng Q. Anti-skin aging effect of sea buckthorn proanthocyanidins in D-galactose-induced aging mice. Food Sci Nutr. 2023 Dec 7;12(2):1082-1094. doi:10.1002/fsn3.3823. PMID: 38370085; PMCID: PMC10867494.