The 2006 WHO report pointed out that ultraviolet radiation is the main external cause of skin aging. As humans age, the symptoms of skin photoaging are wrinkles, blemishes, roughness, damage, and sagging. Ultraviolet rays are often classified into UVA and UVB (there is actually UVC but we won’t discuss it here).
UVA causes tanning while UVB causes erythema, sunburn and damages collagen. Many researchers have explored the mechanism of skin aging. According to the research, under ultraviolet exposure, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) will be produced, and many biological indicators of photoaging (such as MMP-1, MMP-3, p- ERK, p-p38, p-JNK, AP-1, p-c-Jun, p-c-Fos, etc.) increase, while increasing the value of the inflammatory factor IL-6.
Cells irradiated by UVB produce a large amount of reactive oxygen species (ROS), causing cells to generate huge oxidative stress. After myrcene treatment, the ROS levels decreased by 26.2% and 45.7%, respectively, achieving a significant antioxidant effect.
Using Myrcene Oil alone without UVB exposure, the value of collagen type 1 increased by 128.7%, while the values related to photoaging and inflammation decreased by 26.0% and 78.6%. In the case of damage to irradiated UVB cells, treatment with Myrcene Oil increased the value of type 1 collagen by 153.4%, while the values associated with photoaging and inflammation decreased by 69.9% and 80.9%.
Myrcene can also help collagen production and delay aging without cell damage. In the case of cell damage, it can also be quickly repaired to avoid photoaging damage.
Myrcene Oil was first discovered as early as 1969. Decades later, (Rao et al., 1990) was the first scientific team to study the pharmacological effects of myrcene, especially for the anti-injury ability of myrcene.
Skin aging is a problem that society attaches great importance to today. Although the skin has a self-defense system to deal with the reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the natural aging process, excessive and long-term exposure to ultraviolet rays will overwhelm the skin’s defense system, leading to oxidation, aging and skin damage.
In the experiment of UVB irradiating cells, myrcene has a protective effect, can inhibit the production of ROS, and at the same time inhibit the value of MMP-1 and MMP-3 and the inflammatory factor IL-6, so as to protect the skin from UVB-induced photodamage. In addition, Myrcene Oil increases collagen production, which is also highly valuable for skin maintenance.