Food-derived nutricosmetic ingredients for combating skin aging: a critical review

In recent years, the increasing demand for anti-aging solutions has led to rapid advancements in the skincare industry. Natural nutricosmetics, offering significant benefits for skin aging, have become a popular trend due to their safety and convenience. Despite this growing interest, the key active ingredients in nutricosmetics and their potential benefits remain underexplored. Therefore, this review aims to identify and classify the primary bioactive compounds found in food-derived nutricosmetics that alleviate skin aging, along with their underlying mechanisms. Nutricosmetic ingredients are categorized into peptides, polysaccharides, lipids, vitamins and phytochemicals based on their chemical structures. These compounds have been shown to play a significant role in improving skin hydration, reducing wrinkle formation, and alleviating erythema, as demonstrated in both in vitro and in vivo models. Additionally, the digestive absorption routes of these ingredients are discussed, along with the clinical evidence supporting their efficacy. Challenges related to oral bioavailability, dosage, and market restrictions in the nutricosmetic field are also addressed.