Molecular and cellular mechanisms of natural cosmetics and medical treatment in skin-antiaging: A review article

The aging process is intricate and characterized by the progressive degeneration of skin morphology and physiology. Hereditary factors, lifestyle choices and environmental impacts, including xenobiotic pollutants, pathogenic agents, dietary poisons and ultraviolet radiation, all impact this inevitable process. Natural anti-aging products are categorized and presented based on their familial origin. In recent years, the pharmacological assessment of many plant species, including food, aromatic and medicinal plants, has involved both in vivo and in vitro biological studies to evaluate the potential use of plant products for skin anti-aging. This review seeks to ascertain the pharmacological effects of these plants on wrinkle formation, oxidative stress, dermal pigmentation, photodamage and cutaneous hydration. In addition, this review emphasizes that lifestyle health factors, including nutrition, sleep quality, physical exercise, alcohol intake and smoking, contribute to enhancing skin health and postponing the effects of skin aging. Also, this review highlights the advantages and disadvantages of the main medical skin-antiaging treatments and the comparison between natural skin anti-aging and medical skin anti-aging treatments. In the future, further research should be conducted on novel processes of skin aging, finding other natural active substances, incorporating biological products and devising safer and more effective administration strategies with improved bioavailability or permeability for pertinent experimental subjects.