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Oral Hyaluronan Relieves Wrinkles and Improves Dry Skin: A 12-Week Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Study

Tzu-Fang Hsu, Zi-Rong Su, Yao-Hao Hsieh, Ming-Fu Wang, Mariko Oe, Ryosuke Matsuoka, Yasunobu Masuda
Nutrients 2021 13(7):2220

Bibliography

PubMed
PMID 34203487
PubMed Central
PMC8308347
DOI
10.3390/nu13072220
Funding
This research was funded by Kewpie Corporation. Biohack Blueprint assessment: three of seven authors (M. Oe, R. Matsuoka, Y. Masuda) are employees of Kewpie Corporation, manufacturer of the branded hyaluronan ingredient (Hyabest(S)LF-P) tested and the study's funder, as disclosed in the paper's Conflicts of Interest statement.
Competing interests
M.O., R.M., and Y.M. are employees of Kewpie Corporation. The remaining authors have no other conflict of interest to report in this work.

Study snapshot

DesignRandomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group clinical trial
ModelHealthy Taiwanese men and women aged 35–64 years with self-reported dry skin
Samplen=41 enrolled; n=40 completed (approximately 20 per arm)
InterventionOral hyaluronan (Hyabest(S)LF-P, 95% purity), 120 mg/day in capsule form, vs placebo (dextrin), for 12 weeks. This tests hyaluronan, not hydrolysed collagen peptides — a different ingredient, mechanism and evidence base from the gram-scale collagen peptide products reviewed elsewhere on this site.
Duration12 weeks, with assessments at baseline and weeks 4, 8 and 12
EndpointsWrinkle assessment (visual grading and VISIA Evolution image analysis); Stratum corneum water content (Corneometer); Transepidermal water loss, TEWL (Tewameter); Skin elasticity (Cutometer, Reviscometer); Dermal thickness and collagen intensity score (ultrasound, DermaLab)

What the study showed, in plain terms

This trial is included here for contrast, not as collagen-peptide evidence: it tests oral hyaluronan (HA), a different molecule with a different mechanism from the hydrolysed collagen peptides this Data Center otherwise reviews.

In this 12-week, placebo-controlled trial of 40 Taiwanese adults aged 35–64 with dry skin, daily HA (120 mg) significantly improved wrinkle scores, skin moisture and elasticity compared with placebo, with effects building between weeks 8 and 12.

Three of the seven authors are employees of Kewpie Corporation, which manufactures the specific HA ingredient tested and funded the study. Readers researching "oral supplements for skin ageing" may encounter HA products marketed on trials like this one; it is a legitimate but distinct evidence base from hydrolysed collagen peptides.

Key findings

  • After 12 weeks, wrinkle assessment, stratum corneum water content, transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin elasticity were all significantly improved in the HA group compared with placebo.
  • As a percentage change from baseline, wrinkle assessment, stratum corneum water content and skin elasticity were significantly improved in the HA group versus placebo after both 8 and 12 weeks.
  • No formal safety issues were reported; the paper concludes oral HA "may suppress wrinkles and improve skin condition" as a functional food ingredient.

What this study can and cannot tell us

  • Tests oral hyaluronan, not hydrolysed collagen peptides — a different ingredient, dose and proposed mechanism; findings cannot be extrapolated to collagen peptide products.
  • Three of seven authors are employees of Kewpie Corporation, the funding manufacturer of the tested HA ingredient, a direct financial conflict of interest.
  • Small sample (n=40) limited to a single Asian population (Taiwan); the authors argue for cross-ethnic extrapolation based on prior literature, but this was not directly tested.
  • The authors themselves note some indicators (e.g., some SEM values) were inconsistent with trends seen in other measured indicators, and call for larger confirmatory trials.

Related papers in the corpus

Tier 3
Ingested Hyaluronan Moisturizes Dry Skin
Chinatsu Kawada et al. · Nutrition Journal · 2014

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Dr. Khaled Mahmoud, MBBChCritical Care Medicine, Longevity Science & Editorial Direction Dr. Amr Yasser, PhDCardiometabolic, Musculoskeletal, Gut & Bioavailability Dr. Abdulla Mostafa, PhDCellular Senescence, Neurological, Mitochondrial & Brain-Ageing Biology