The seasonal décor staple of the pinecone isn’t exactly the first go-to skin-care ingredient that pops into your head when you think of a solution for sagging skin. Sure, the sturdy standby is strong enough to hold up against even the most serious of winters, but can it do the same for your skin?
Shiseido seems to think so. Researchers from the brand recently released study results that say impaired lymphatic vessels lead to accumulation of subcutaneous fat, which ultimately causes sagging skin, but a specific kind of pine cone extract, native to Europe and Asia, helps to normalize and strengthen the vessels. The study also showed that the extract has the same function as apelin, a peptide found in humans that enhances lymphatic function while suppressing the accumulation of subcutaneous fat.
So what does that mean for skin care? Shiseido says it has already tested trial products that include the extract to observe the effects on nasolabial and facial lines, as well as the sagging of the neck, and will continue to conduct research on capillary and lymphatic vessels to develop new skin care solutions.
