Written by Jessica Patella, ND. This abstract suggests hawthorn fruit extract may improve skin hydration and reduce wrinkles in those with specific genotypes.

Skin aging includes wrinkles, dryness, pigmentation changes and loss of elasticity. According to an American Academy of Dermatology survey, 50% of Americans worry about premature skin aging.¹  While sunscreen is the best protection against UV radiation damage¹, interest in botanicals for skin improvement continues to grow.²  Recent research found hawthorn fruit consumption may have anti-skin-aging effects.²

Hawthorn is a deciduous tree and the fruit has been used historically as a medicinal herb.^2,3  A previous study in middle-aged women with photo-skin-damage showed improvement in skin roughness, with a combination of ginseng and hawthorn used topically.^2,4 A previous animal study found hawthorn fruit extract supplementation resulted in greater leukocyte telomere length, which is a marker for biological age and suggested to be a surrogate for skin telomere length.^2,5

Kim et al. conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-arm parallel-group superiority trial to assess the efficacy of hawthorn fruit supplementation on facial skin phenotypes and leukocyte telomere length. Subjects (n=36, aged 25-75 years) were randomly divided into two groups, a placebo group (n=21; 900 mg cornstarch placebo) or a hawthorn fruit supplement group (n=20; 900 mg Hawthorn Berry Extract Powder). All participants were instructed to take the supplement daily 2 hours before bedtime for 6 months.²

Facial skin was measured via a skin analyzer (Bomtech).  Pigmentation was measured 1 cm below the corner of the left eye, pores were measured on the cheek in contact with the left wing of the nose and hydration, wrinkles and elasticity were measured on the middle of the forehead.²  Fasting blood samples were used to obtain leukocytes, and DNA was extracted from the leukocytes to determine telomere length.  Cheek cells were obtained for sequencing TERT polymorphisms for gene association.²

Significant findings after 6 months of supplementation are as follows:

• The hawthorn group showed significantly improved hydration scores compared to placebo (1.71 +/- 8.18 vs -3.00 +/- 8.42 (follow-up measure – baseline measure); p<0.05).
• Changes in other skin measures were not statistically significant between groups.
• When isolating carriers of the AA genotype of rs2853669, the hawthorn group showed a reduced wrinkle score, while the control group increased in wrinkle score (Cohen’s d=1.40; p<0.05)
• For all participants, hydration scores were positively correlated with leukocyte telomere length (Spearman correlation coefficient: 0.36; p<0.05).

In conclusion, these findings suggest that hawthorn consumption may increase hydration of the skin.  Hawthorn consumption may also reduce wrinkle formation in individuals with specific genotypes. Study limitations include the small participant size and the assessment of leukocyte telomere length.² Future studies featuring a larger, more diverse sample size are necessary to better comprehend the effects of hawthorn fruit on skin hydration and wrinkle reduction.

Source: Kim, Minju, and Inkyung Baik. “Effects of Hawthorn Fruit Supplementation on Facial Skin Phenotypes and Leukocyte Telomere Length Stratified by TERT Polymorphisms.” Nutrients 17, no. 12 (2025): 1983.

© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and
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Posted September 4, 2026.

Jessica Patella, ND, is a naturopathic physician specializing in nutrition and homeopathic medicine and offers a holistic approach to health.  She earned her ND from Sonoran University (formerly Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine in Tempe, AZ).  Dr. Patella has been involved in research since high school, when she presented her research at University of Florida on Group B Strep in pregnant women. While earning a bachelors in exercise physiology at Florida State University, her honors research was examining lifestyle effects on glucose levels in women. Dr. Patella was also a research assistant while in naturopathic medical school and has been writing for the Natural Health Research Institute since she graduated from Sonoran University in 2009. Dr. Patella currently teaches a variety of classes all related to human health.

References:

1. Dermatology AAo. American Academy of Dermatology survey: half of Americans worry about skin aging, but many still skip sunscreen. https://www.aad.org/news/survey-worry-skin-aging-still-skip-sunscreen
2. Kim M, Baik I. Effects of Hawthorn Fruit Supplementation on Facial Skin Phenotypes and Leukocyte Telomere Length Stratified by TERT Polymorphisms. Nutrients. Jun 12 2025;17(12)doi:10.3390/nu17121983
3. Cui M, Cheng L, Zhou Z, et al. Traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and safety concerns of hawthorn (Crataegus genus): A comprehensive review. J Ethnopharmacol. Jan 30 2024;319(Pt 2):117229. doi:10.1016/j.jep.2023.117229
4. Hwang E, Park SY, Yin CS, Kim HT, Kim YM, Yi TH. Antiaging effects of the mixture of Panax ginseng and Crataegus pinnatifida in human dermal fibroblasts and healthy human skin. J Ginseng Res. Jan 2017;41(1):69–77. doi:10.1016/j.jgr.2016.01.001
5. Kim CY. Effects of Botanical Extracts on Telomere Length, Telomerase Activity and Inflammatory Biomarkers in Aged Animal Models. . Kookmin University; 2021.