PRUNUS PERSICA EXTRACT

📋 Quick facts

Description: PRUNUS PERSICA EXTRACT — soothing, antioxidant (Peach Extract).

All Functions: soothing, antioxidant (Peach Extract)

Quick Facts:

• Category: active

Proven Benefits At A Glance:

• Derived from peach flowers (Prunus persica), studied in skincare research since 2000
• Shown to help protect skin cells from UV damage in multiple laboratory studies
• May support the skin barrier component collagen type XVIII, which declines with age
• Research used unripe peach extract and peach flower extract (sometimes called Ku-35)

📊 Comedogenicity

🛡️ Safety rating

Safety tier is a starting heuristic from regulatory status and comedogenic rating, not a dermatological verdict — see our Terms for the full disclaimer. Research confidence reflects how many real cited studies back this ingredient, not the strength of their findings.

🌍 Regulatory Status

💧 Skin Type Compatibility

⚠️ Don’t Combine With

📚 Research & Evidence

🔬 The Science

Prunus persica extract has been investigated for UV protection and skin aging support across three peer-reviewed studies. Here’s what the research shows:

#1: UV damage protection. When applied to skin cells in the lab, peach flower extract (ethanol extract, referred to as Ku-35 in studies) inhibited DNA damage caused by both UVB and UVC radiation, measured using a technique called the COMET assay (Mutat Res, 2001). The extract also reduced lipid peroxidation—a harmful process where fats in skin cells are damaged by UV exposure—particularly against UVB at concentrations above 10 micrograms per milliliter (Mutat Res, 2001). In a mouse study, topical application of Ku-35 before UVB exposure delayed tumor development and reduced tumor count by up to 54% compared to untreated controls (Mutat Res, 2001).

#2: Cellular protection mechanisms. In human keratinocytes (the most common skin cell type), Ku-35 blocked the release of inflammatory molecules triggered by UV exposure and protected cells from UV-induced death (Arch Pharm Res, 2000). In a guinea pig study, the extract reduced UV-induced redness (erythema) (Arch Pharm Res, 2000). Researchers suggest the protective effect works through antioxidant activity—meaning it neutralizes harmful free radicals generated by UV exposure (Mutat Res, 2001). #3: Skin barrier support. Unripe peach extract was tested in a 3D human skin model (a lab-grown tissue that mimics real skin structure) after UV-B exposure. The extract increased mRNA levels and improved localization of collagen type XVIII, a structural protein found at the dermal-epidermal junction—the boundary between the skin’s outer and deeper layers (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2019).

Collagen type XVIII naturally declines in aged skin, so supporting it may help protect against age-related skin changes caused by sun exposure (J Cosmet Dermatol, 2019). Limitation: Most studies used concentrated lab extracts at high doses; how these translate to typical skincare product concentrations is not specified in these abstracts.

📄 Related Research

Matched by search — not necessarily verified support for every statement above.

• Yonezawa T et al. (2019). Unripe peach (Prunus persica) extract ameliorates damage from UV irradiation and improved collagen XVIII expression in 3D skin model. J Cosmet Dermatol.
• Heo MY et al. (2001). Protection against ultraviolet B- and C-induced DNA damage and skin carcinogenesis by the flowers of Prunus persica extract. Mutat Res.
• Kim YH et al. (2000). Protection of the flowers of Prunus persica extract from ultraviolet B-induced damage of normal human keratinocytes. Arch Pharm Res.

🧴 Products Containing PRUNUS PERSICA EXTRACT

• L’Oréal, L’Oreal Luxe, The Body Shop The body shop crème exfoliante corps pêche de vigne