Unique Herbal-Based Topical Is Comparable to Prescription Retinoid’s Impact on Photoaging and Repair Biomarkers

A randomized controlled blinded pilot trial to evaluate the expression of key biomarkers of a topical cream comprising a unique blend of Herbal Extracts (HE) providing anti-inflammatory and stratum corneum repair compared to Tretinoin (Tr) 0.02% cream. Eight peri and post-menopausal women of skin types I-III with moderate to severe photodamage on forearms were evaluated. Two biomarkers for presence of photoaging revealed no statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) between HE and the prescription Tr product . These biomarkers include Fibrillin Ab and procollagen 2. Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor (PPAR) gamma which is a biomarker for epidermal and stratum corneum repair was also tested. Compared to Tr, HE reached a trend toward statistical significance (p = 0.075) superiority in modulating PPAR gamma.