Study of Olive Leaf Extract on Skin Aging: Ex Vivo, Animal, and Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Studies
June 2026
in “
Functional Foods in Health and Disease
”
TLDR Olive leaf extract may help improve skin aging, especially for those who don't exercise regularly.
This study investigated the effects of water extract of olive leaf (WOL) on skin aging, focusing on stem cell markers in human-derived cells, mice, and a clinical trial with 50 healthy Japanese participants aged 40–69. WOL was found to increase markers associated with epidermal and dermal stem cell activity in both ex vivo and in vivo studies. In the clinical trial, although the overall difference in skin age between the WOL and placebo groups was not statistically significant, a significant decrease in skin age was observed in participants who did not exercise regularly. The study suggests that WOL may support improvements in skin aging, particularly for individuals without regular exercise habits.
