Aloe sterol supplementation improves skin elasticity in Japanese men with sunlight-exposed skin: a 12-week double-blind, randomized controlled trial

Recently, it was confirmed that the daily oral intake of plant sterols of gel ( sterol) significantly increases the skin barrier function, moisture, and elasticity in photoprotected skin. This study aimed to investigate whether sterol intake affected skin conditions following sunlight exposure in Japanese men. We performed a 12-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to evaluate the effects of oral sterol supplementation on skin conditions in 48 apparently healthy men (age range: 30-59 years; average: 45 years). The subjects were instructed to expose the measurement position of the arms to the sunlight outdoors every day for 12 weeks. The skin parameters were measured at 0 (baseline), 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Depending on the time for the revelation of the sunlight, the * value and melanin index increased and the skin moisture decreased. After taking an sterol tablet daily for 12 weeks, the skin elasticity index (R2, R5, and R7) levels were significantly higher than the baseline value. There were no differences between the groups in these skin elasticity values. In the subgroup analysis of subjects aged