Benefits
Skin hydration and moisture retention
Astrion®'s ginsenoside profile supports hyaluronic acid synthase activity in dermal fibroblasts — increasing endogenous HA production in skin dermis for improved moisture retention, skin plumpness, and reduced transepidermal water loss. This inside-out hydration approach addresses skin aging at the biosynthetic level rather than topically.
Collagen synthesis and skin elasticity
Specific ginsenosides in Astrion® stimulate type I and III collagen synthesis in skin fibroblasts through TGF-β receptor modulation and downstream Smad pathway activation — supporting the structural collagen matrix that maintains skin firmness, elasticity, and resistance to wrinkling.
Skin antioxidant protection
Astrion® provides both direct antioxidant polyphenol protection and indirect Nrf2 pathway activation in skin cells — reducing UV and environmental stress-induced oxidative damage to skin collagen, elastin, and cell membranes that accelerates skin aging.
Mechanism of action
Fibroblast TGF-β/Smad collagen induction and HA synthase activation
Astrion®'s beauty-optimized ginsenoside profile activates TGF-β1 receptor signaling in dermal fibroblasts — the primary anabolic pathway for skin collagen and extracellular matrix production. Specific astragalosides upregulate hyaluronic acid synthase (HAS-2) enzyme activity, increasing endogenous HA synthesis in the dermis. The combination addresses both structural (collagen) and hydration (HA) components of skin aging simultaneously through a single botanical extract.
Clinical trials
NuLiv Science internal research and clinical assessment of Astrion® (a proprietary blend including Astragalus and other botanicals) on skin hydration, collagen markers, and skin appearance. Note: not currently indexed in PubMed; full details available only through NuLiv Science.
150 healthy adults. Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; assigned to topical ACS cream (5%), oral ACS capsules (125 mg), combined topical+oral, or matching placebos. 12-week duration; assessments at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. Skin brightness, moisture, elasticity, melanin, pore count, texture, and collagen content measured. Published in Cosmetics journal (MDPI), 2025 — NOT indexed in PubMed.
Topical ACS at 4 weeks: skin brightness +2.5%, elasticity +6.5%, melanin -5.2%, pores -10.6%, collagen +8.7% (all p<0.05). Combined oral+topical at 12 weeks delivered the strongest effects: brightness +4.2%, moisture +12.9%, elasticity +9.0%, melanin -8.2%, pores -28.5%, collagen +13.7%. Oral alone (125 mg/day) significantly improved brightness, elasticity, texture, and collagen at 12 weeks. NOTE: Cosmetics (MDPI) is not currently PubMed-indexed, so this trial does not have a PMID. The component botanicals are well-supported individually: Astragalus saponins for telomerase activation (PMID 39275278) and Centella asiatica for collagen synthesis are both in PubMed-indexed evidence.