Does a cream containing 5% alpha-lipoic acid (LA) improve criteria associated with photoageing of facial skin compared to an identical cream without LA?
Topical Alpha-Lipoic Acid Cream, a randomized trial (Br J Dermatol 2003, PMID 14616378) — laser profilometry, the most objective method, showed an average decrease in skin roughness of 50.8% on the LA-treated side, compared to 40.7% on the placebo-treated side (P < 0.001). Scope: over 12 weeks, and the abstract states no limitations.
Source: Br J Dermatol 2003, PMID 14616378 ↗ · Research map · How Magellan grades evidence · evidence confidence: medium
Br J Dermatol · 2003 · PMID 14616378 · DOI 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05597.x
A 5% alpha-lipoic acid cream significantly reduced skin roughness and improved other signs of photoageing on facial skin over 12 weeks.
The question
Does a cream containing 5% alpha-lipoic acid (LA) improve criteria associated with photoageing of facial skin compared to an identical cream without LA?
What they tested
A cream containing 5% LA will show beneficial effects on photoageing skin.
How they did it
Thirty-three women, with a mean age of 54.4 years, participated in a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study. For 12 weeks, half of each participant's face was treated twice daily with a 5% LA cream, and the other half with a control cream. Assessments included self-evaluation, clinical evaluation, photographic evaluation, and laser profilometry, with profilometry performed at the start and end of treatment.
What they found
All four assessment methods showed a statistically significant improvement on the LA-treated side of the face. Laser profilometry, the most objective method, showed an average decrease in skin roughness of 50.8% on the LA-treated side, compared to 40.7% on the placebo-treated side (P < 0.001).
| LA-treated side | 50.8 | |
|---|---|---|
| Placebo-treated side | 40.7 |
Laser profilometry showed a greater average decrease in skin roughness on the LA-treated side compared to the placebo-treated side.
What it means
Treatment for 12 weeks with a cream containing 5% LA improves clinical characteristics related to photoageing of facial skin.
Limitations
The abstract does not explicitly state limitations of the study.
Where the published abstract does not list limitations, we say so rather than inventing them. Read the full paper on PubMed before drawing conclusions.
The paper at a glance
| Title | Randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind study on the clinical efficacy of a cream containing 5% alpha-lipoic acid related to photoageing of facial skin. |
|---|---|
| Journal | Br J Dermatol |
| Year | 2003 |
| PMID | 14616378 ↗ |
| DOI | 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05597.x ↗ |
| Topic | Skin, hair & photoaging |
Read the source: PubMed record (authors, abstract, full citation) ↗ · Publisher via doi.org ↗
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Topical Alpha-Lipoic Acid Cream
In skin aging, ultraviolet-driven reactive oxygen species and matrix-metalloproteinase activation degrade collagen and contribute to roughness and wrinkles, the pathway a topical antioxidant aims to counter.
Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA, thioctic acid) is a naturally occurring sulfur-containing compound made in…
Research describes the compound or intervention studied. It is not a claim about any specific product.
Molecules & mechanisms in this paper
Each of these is named in the paper’s own words above. Open the monograph for the full mechanism and its other citations.
Cite this page
These citations point at this summary. To cite the original paper with its full author list, use the PubMed record or doi.org.
Magellan Longevity. (2026). Does a cream containing 5% alpha-lipoic acid (LA) improve criteria associated with photoageing of facial skin compared to an identical cream without LA? [Plain-English summary of Br J Dermatol 2003, PMID 14616378, DOI 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05597.x]. Magellan Longevity. https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s187.html@misc{magellan_s187,
title = {Does a cream containing 5% alpha-lipoic acid (LA) improve criteria associated with photoageing of facial skin compared to an identical cream without LA?},
author = {{Magellan Longevity}},
year = {2026},
howpublished = {\url{https://magellanlongevity.com/study/s187.html}},
note = {Plain-English summary of PubMed PMID 14616378; DOI 10.1046/j.1365-2133.2003.05597.x; Br J Dermatol 2003. Reviewed by Gabriel Radu, DO},
urldate = {2026-08-11}
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