Table 3 Anti-aging studies conducted with formulations containing vitamins

500 mg of vitamin C application with microneedling or sonophoresis

In vivo: 25 healthy probands aged 25–63 years, with erythematous changes and sensitive skin

6 months

• Vitamin C helped to reduce wrinkles and boosted skin elasticity.

• Treatment was effective for sensitive skin, reducing erythema.

• The formulation along with application methods significantly decreased redness and lowered skin reactivity.

• The therapies were effective and safe, causing only mild skin irritation in a few participants.

[75]

Peptide-C ampoules (PC) containing peptides, 10% of vitamin C, hyaluronic acid, and mineralizing water

In vivo: 1756 women aged ≥ 30 years, with signs of skin aging

28 days

• 63% of participants experienced a reduction in forehead wrinkles.

• 64% saw improvements in crow’s feet wrinkles.

• Skin hydration increased in 67% of participants.

• Comparable outcomes were found when PC was used alone or alongside with other skincare treatments.

• 98% of participants rate product tolerance as good to very good.

[76]

Mixture of polydeoxyribonucleotide, vitamin C (25%), and niacinamide (55%) with microneedling

• In vitro: HEKn cells radiated to UV-B

• In vivo: HRM-2 mice (female, 5 weeks old, 20–25 g) radiated with UV-B

In vitro: 24 h

In vivo: 28 days

• Levels of Nrf2/HO-1 increased, roxidative enzyme activity educed, and antioxidant enzyme activity enhanced in the skin.

• Expression of proteins linked to pigmentation and skin aging, tumor protein p53 and tyrosinase, decreased.

• Inflammatory markers and MMP levels linked to collagen breakdown were reduced.

• The treatments boosted collagen and elastin fiber content, along with fibrillin and fibulin, supporting skin elasticity.

[77]

Serum containing vitamin C (15% w/v) and vitamin E with palmitoyl tripeptide-38 (5 ppm)

In vivo: Women aged ≥ 40 years, with visible signs of photoaging

2 months

• Statistically significant reductions in signs of aging, including smoother skin, brighter tone, and improvements in wrinkles and skin structure were observed.

• The changes in skin isotropy and anisotropy were modest.

• Skin evenness, radiance, and wrinkle appearance were improved.

[78]

Azelaic acid (20%), phytic acid (30%), and vitamin C (40%)

In vivo: 20 Polish female volunteers aged 35–60 years

8 weeks

• Application of the ingredients improved skin elasticity, reduced wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, erythema, and telangiectasia, and enhanced overall skin tone.

• No irritation or allergic reactions were observed.

[79]

Serum with 15% vitamin C, vitamin E, neohesperidin, Pinus pinaster bark, and hyaluronic acid

• Ex vivo: Human skin samples

• In vivo: 40 women showing visible signs of photoaging, including facial hyperpigmentation

90 days

• The topical antioxidant serum significantly reduced air pollution-induced skin pigmentation and expression of proinflammatory genes.

• A significant improvement of skin aging signs was observed after 90 days.

• Local tolerance was good.

[80]

Encapsulated serum with vitamin C (20%), vitamin E, and European raspberry leaf cell culture extract

In vivo: 50 women aged 30–65 years

2 months

• The serum improved several signs of aging—such as darkening, elasticity, radiance, smoothness, scaliness, and wrinkles.

• Elasticity improvement did not lead to visible lifting effects.

• The serum was well-tolerated by participants.

[31]

Vitamin C lotion (10%, 15%, 20%, and 25%)

• In vitro: Corneal epithelial cells, mice melanocytes

• In vivo: 34 women aged 24–58 years

28 days

• For all lotions, vitamin C effectively penetrated the skin, with 20% lotion achieving the highest transdermal efficiency, reaching 85% diffusion in 24 h, surpassing the control group by 1.43 times.

• Irritation tests showed low cytotoxicity, and patch testing confirmed no allergic reactions.

• The use of vitamin C lotion demonstrated significant improvements: 10.5% increase in skin radiance, a 9.2% boost in elasticity and firmness, and a 12.3% reduction in wrinkle area.

[32]

Niacinamide (2%) with fractional ablative laser treatment

• In vivo: 25 women aged 27–62 years

• In vitro: HaCaT cells irradiated with UV-B

3 weeks

• The treatment led to greater reductions in wrinkles and pigmentation compared to a standard formulation.

• The stem cell medium with niacinamide provided antiinflammatory benefits and boosted wound healing and skin cell turnover.

[81]

Product containing genistein (4%), vitamin E (1%), vitamin B₃ (1%), and ceramide (0.2%)

In vivo: 50 postmenopausal women aged 48–65 years

6 weeks

• The product showed significant improvement in skin hydration, and fine pore size and area, and increased skin redness reduction.

• Among older participants (age > 56) with high compliance, the product significantly improved most wrinkle parameters.

[33]

Topical gel containing vitamins (50,000 IU of vitamin A and 50 mg of vitamin E) and 0.02% retinoic acid

In vivo: 60 participants (56 women and 4 men) aged > 50 years

12 weeks

• After 6 weeks, skin aging global scores dropped by 13% in the group using topical gel alone and by 14% in the group using gel with vitamins.

• By week 12, the reductions were 22% and 27% for the groups using topical gel alone and the gel with vitamins, respectively.

[35]

4% retinol solution containing TGF-β activators and antioxidants

In vivo: 15 women

30 day intervals

• Skin tone, pigmentation, hydration, structure, oil control enhanced.

• Pigmentation, especially in those with early aging signs, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, acne scars, and enlarged pores significantly improved.

• The treatment was well-tolerated, cost-effective, easy to use, and associated with minimal side effects.

[34]

Retinyl palmitate (5%)-loaded nanocapsules (100 and 1000 µg/mL)

In vitro: NIH 3T3 mouse fibroblast and RAW264.7 macrophage cells

24 h

• The chitosan coating retinyl palmitate’s skin penetration and showed significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects without cytotoxicity to dermal fibroblasts.

• Cell proliferation and collagen synthesis promoted.

[82]