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Page 2 of 6 González et al. Plast Aesthet Res 2022;9:32 https://dx.doi.org/10.20517/2347-9264.2022.04

environmental stress can interact with ultraviolet radiation. Three major mechanisms seem to be related to
the adverse effects of ambient air pollutants on skin health: the generation of free radicals, the induction of
an inflammatory cascade, and the impairment of the skin barrier.

It is of critical importance that we explore the deeper knowledge of all the factors (internal and external)
involved in skin aging to develop new anti-aging therapies that can keep the skin undamaged over time and
improve its ability to repair.

RESEARCH SNIPPETS
[1]
Botanicals for photoprotection. Torres et al. . Electromagnetic radiation, particularly ultraviolet radiation
(UVR), exerts harmful effects on human skin, playing a role in photoaging, photoimmunosuppression, and
photocarcinogenesis. The damage is mainly produced through the generation of ROS and the resulting
oxidative stress. In addition to behavioral strategies against sunlight exposure and sunscreens, there is a
growing interest in alternative photoprotective methods, such as oral and topical products of botanical
origin. These botanical-based photoprotectors act through a variety of biologic mechanisms to counteract
the adverse effects of UVR. Polypodium leucotomos extract is the most well studied botanical
photoprotective agent. It has immunomodulatory, tumor suppressive, and anti-aging properties, which are
mainly attributed to its polyphenols content (such as caffeic acid and ferulic acid). Polypodium leucotomos
extract has been shown to minimize the oxidative damage, suppress UV-induced erythema, reduce
cutaneous phototoxicity, preserve epidermal Langerhans cells, accelerate extracellular matrix turnover, and
promote renewal of dermal collagen. Green tea also has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory,
immunomodulatory, and chemopreventive properties, primarily due to the phenolic green tea catechins.
Green tea catechins reduce photodamage and confer protection against photoinflammation and
photocarcinogenesis. Pomegranate as well is rich in phenolic compounds, such as anthocyanins, catechins,
and tannins, and has anti-inflammatory properties and very strong antioxidant activity. Resveratrol, a non-
flavonoid polyphenol present in grapes and red wine, has also demonstrated antioxidant, anti-
inflammatory, and anti-tumor effects in several in vitro, animal, and human studies. The active constituent
of turmeric, curcumin, not only mitigates in vitro UVB-induced damage but also confers protection against
UVA-mediated photodamage. Finally, the isoflavone silymarin contains flavonolignans, which are the
polyphenols through which this botanical product exerts its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
There is evidence that the use of these botanical products as photoprotective agents could be beneficial, as
long as they are applied as adjunctive measures to conventional photoprotection.

Deschampsia antarctica extract (Edafence®) as a powerful skin protection tool against the aging exposome.
Mataix et al. . The skin is our first body barrier to face external agents and thus the totality of exposures to
[2]
the environmental stressors (clustered under the term “skin exposome”) are the main inductors of skin
aging and skin pathologies. Among environmental agents with an impact on the organism we could
highlight the next classification: air pollution, tobacco, light radiations, and other environmental agents
(e.g., humidity, chemicals from daily activities, and endogenous factors). Air pollution (e.g., ionizing
molecular gas species, volatile compounds, and particulate matter) have a direct impact on skin homeostasis
and induce damage and stress responses in skin cells and tissues. Tobacco smoke induces generic oxidative
stress and DNA damage, and it impairs the regeneration capacity of skin. Solar radiation, particularly UVR,
induces DNA damage, oxidative stress, and dysregulation of homeostasis, leading to alterations that may
precede to skin tumorigenesis and senescence. Additional environmental factors (e.g., temperature,
cosmetics, and dietary components) can also induce adverse effects such as inflammatory infiltration,
oxidative DNA damage, sensitization to UV radiation, and metabolic stress. To counteract the skin
exposome, cells have developed adaptative mechanisms that are integrated with general stress responses and