This Superfruit Extract Can Reduce Dark Spots, Wrinkles & More

While “superfoods” aren’t a regulated term, we’ve come to understand these ingredients as the best-in-class botanicals to help nurture our bodies. They are packed with antioxidants and other nutrients that help supercharge our health, from the gut to the skin. 

A few buzzy ones you probably recognize? Avocados, blueberries, kale, and strawberries have all held the moniker of “superfood” at some point in the last few years. They’re used as ingredients in meals and their extracts show up in skin care products and supplements.

Well, we’re here to crown a new one that’s gone under the radar for the last several years: blood orange extract. This powerful, antioxidant-rich extract is garnering attention for its ability to transform the skin—from improving fine lines to increasing hydration to reducing dark spots. 

What is blood orange extract?

The extract is known for its robust antioxidant profile: It contains powerful antioxidants1 such as flavonoids (anthocyanins and flavanones), non-flavonoid phenols (hydroxycinnamic acids), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). 

Together, these boost the skin’s ability to fight off free radicals. In fact, According to a randomized, double-blind, controlled study, supplementing with the extract led to a statistically significant increase in antioxidant capacity1 of the skin. Study participants experienced an increase of 8.6% in 14 days and 22.3% in 56 days. 

It’s becoming popular as an ingredient in skin care supplements, given it has a profound ability to work on the skin from the inside out. 

3 reasons to add blood orange extract to your skin care supplement routine

Here, what you need to know about its superpowered skin appearance benefits.

When folks think of skin aging, they tend to think of wrinkles. Well, blood orange extract can help smooth wrinkles from the inside out. 

One study found the extract was able to help with wrinkle depth severity—after measuring the participants’ mean deepest wrinkle before, during, and after supplementation, they found that the wrinkle depth decreased by 6.9% by the end of the study.

That study also looked at skin elasticity, or the skin’s ability to bounce back. They found that participants saw an increase in elasticity by 5.9% in 14 days and 13.9% in 56 days. 

Where does it get this wrinkle-fighting power? The researchers suspect this benefit could be attributed to the vitamin C in the extract, as vitamin C plays a key role in the elastin and collagen synthesis process. Since collagen and elastin are what keep the skin firm and lifted, by increasing production, you can smooth out fine lines.

If you want to improve hydration from the inside out, you need to address transepidermal water loss (TEWL). TEWL is what happens when water in the skin evaporates into the atmosphere around you. This leads to dry, dehydrated skin. 

To address it, you need to find ingredients that are going to support the skin barrier function, which will help keep water sealed in the skin throughout the day and night. 

One study on blood orange extract found it was able to reduce the changes in transepidermal water loss2 from occurring. In 14 days, TEWL decreased by 2.7%, and in 56 days, it decreased by 14.5%.  

The result? More hydrated skin. That same study noted that the participants’ skin moisturization increased by 5.3% in 14 days and 12.3% in 56 days.

What does this mean in practice? Well it means your skin is better protected against the effects of UV rays. But it also means reduced signs of sun damage, like sun spots. The study found that participants’ dark spots decreased from 27% to 7%4.

And another randomized, double-blind, controlled study2 found that participants who took 100 mg daily saw a statistically significant increase in skin radiance—9.2% after 14 days and 18.5% after 56 days.

The takeaway

To give skin a superfood boost from the inside out, you may be sleeping on this under-the-radar extract: Blood orange extract has powerful antioxidant properties that make it effective at smoothing fine lines, reducing dark spots, and improving hydration,.