Effects of a Dietary Supplement on Systemic Aging Related Biomarkers and Skin Aging Outcomes in Middle-Aged Women

BACKGROUNDInterest in dietary supplements targeting both skin and biological aging biomarkers is rapidly growing, yet existing studies lack rigorous clinical validation of combined oral–topical regimens and concurrent assessment of skin and systemic biomarkers.

OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to evaluate skin aging-related outcomes together with selected systemic biomarkers associated with aging biology.

METHODSHuman skin fibroblasts were treated with Oriherb FuHuoLvShi (FHLS), a revitalizing dietary supplement adapted from Traditional Chinese Medicine classical formula QiongYu Paste, together with PQQ, astaxanthin, and apple polyphenols. Senescence-associated parameters including β-galactosidase (SA-β-gal), γ-H2AX foci, reactive oxygen species (ROS), Type I and III collagen expression were measured. Two 12-week clinical trials were conducted in middle-aged women: (1) an open-label FHLS-Only trial investigating DNA methylation-based biological age, pro-inflammatory cytokines, NAD levels, and gene expressions of sirtuins in blood samples, in addition to skin aging phenotypes; (2) a randomized parallel-controlled combination trial comparing topical plus oral FHLS with topical application alone.

RESULTSFHLS significantly reduced SA-β-gal, γ-H2AX foci and ROS while increasing Type I and III collagen expression in vitro. After 12 weeks, FHLS improved skin hydration (+62.46%), TEWL (−18.69%), radiance (+17.19%), elasticity (+15.16%), firmness (−14.85%), dermal density (+32.29%), and facial wrinkle severity (p < 0.001). Systemically, FHLS significantly increased NAD+, total NAD levels and the expression of sirtuin genes (SIRT 1, SIRT 3 and SIRT 6), while decreasing levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-2 and TNF-α in blood. Notably, DNA methylation age was reduced by an average of 0.84 years after the 12-week intervention. Though this result shows a promising effect of the intervention strategy, it should be interpreted with caution and warrants further investigation. Furthermore, combined oral–topical treatment showed superior efficacy on skin aging parameters compared to topicals alone.

CONCLUSIONFHLS was associated with improvements in multiple skin aging-related outcomes and changes in selected systemic aging biomarkers. These findings support further investigation into larger placebo-controlled studies.

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