Topical RE.D flavonoid, an extract of camellia japonica seeds, improves clinical features of photoaging without local skin irritation.

Summary: Repetitive and chronic sun exposure leads to photoaging by increasing matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) production, which degrades dermal collagen. PDK1 (3-phosphoinositide-dependent kinase 1) inhibition reverses senescence by suppressing NF-κB and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling through inactivation of a positive feedback loop (PDK1, AKT, IKBKB, and PTEN), suggesting PDK1 inhibition may ameliorate skin aging. Extract of <i>Camellia japonica</i> seeds [RE.D Flavonoid] has MMP-1 and PDK1 inhibitory activities, thus may improve photoaging. We evaluated the effects of topical RE.D. Flavonoid (0.1%) on skin aging in 44 volunteers (37F, 7M, mean age 60.11 years, range 45 to 75). Subjects were randomized to use RE.D. Flavonoid cream or placebo for 24 weeks on the face and neck. Clinical grading, imaging, and subject surveys were completed. Compared to baseline, the active group saw all photoaging measures (fine lines, wrinkles, skin texture, pore appearance, luminosity, hyperpigmentation) significantly improved for the face and neck (P < 0.05). Furthermore, skin texture and luminosity for both sites showed significant improvement by as early as Week 8 (P < 0.001). In comparison, the placebo group had significant improvement only in skin texture, luminosity for the face and skin texture, pore appearance, luminosity, hyperpigmentation for the neck (P < 0.05). The mean percentage change from baseline for facial fine lines, wrinkles, skin texture, pore appearance, luminosity, and hyperpigmentation in the active group was 23%, 10%, 45%, 26%, 40%, and 29%, and for the neck was 25%, 19%, 45%, 25%, 35%, 28%, respectively. At Week 24, the active group had significantly positive responses to 9/19 questions on the self-assessment questionnaire compared to 0/19 positive responses for the placebo group (P < 0.05). Our data suggests that topical RE.D. Flavonoid is a well-tolerated option to combat multiple clinical features of photoaging. Anna Lien-Lun Chien¹, Asli Akin Belli¹, Eunjoo Kim², June Whan Park², Si-Young Cho², Martin Alphonse¹, Sewon Kang¹ 1. Dermatology, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States. 2. Amorepacific Corporation, Yongsan-gu, Seoul, Korea (the Republic of). Clinical Research: Interventional Research