Curcumin (Curcuma longa): Applications in Clinical, Regenerative and Aesthetic Dermatology
Main Article Content
Keywords
Curcuma longa, Dermatology, psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, photodamage, hyperpigmentation, anti-aging, wound healing, Curcumin
Abstract
Background Curcumin (CUR), the principal polyphenol in Curcuma longa, has gained increasing interest in dermatology because of its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, photoprotective, and regenerative properties. Despite versatile biological activity, its clinical use has been limited by poor bioavailability and significant product variability across formulations.
Methods A targeted PubMed search was conducted using a combination of the following keywords: ‘curcumin,’ ‘turmeric,’ and ‘dermatology.’ Only articles in English and relevant to this review were included. Additional articles were included through citation tracking and authors’ clinical expertise.
Results The search yielded 375 results, and 94 articles and two webpages were included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Discussion CUR modulates multiple intracellular pathways resulting in reduced pro-inflammatory cytokine expression, improved oxidative balance, and enhanced tissue repair. Despite an extremely favorable safety profile, CUR’s clinical use remains limited by poor bioavailability; however, newer formulations, including FDA-recognized medical foods, have substantially improved absorption and product consistency. Clinically, CUR has shown immunomodulatory and anti-inflammatory effects applicable to cutaneous conditions including psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and photodamage, and has exhibited antimicrobial activity in acne. Aesthetically, CUR reduces melanogenesis and provides firming effects by limiting oxidative stress and matrix metalloproteinase activity. Regeneratively, it modulates key longevity-associated pathways involved in cellular senescence, wound healing and anti-aging.
Conclusion CUR represents a safe and multifaceted agent with clinical, aesthetic, and regenerative dermatologic benefits. Prescriptive “medical foods” may be an answer to the clinical and aesthetic limitations of the use of CUR by increasing bioavailability and reducing variability, though more robust clinical trials are needed to define optimal dosing and long-term efficacy.
References
2. Rahim-Mahdy H, Seifert R. A market and risk assessment of 125 turmeric supplements available in Australia, Germany, India, UK, and USA. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg’s Arch Pharmacol. Published online August 7, 2025. doi:10.1007/s00210-025-04392-5
3. Panahi Y, Fazlolahzadeh O, Atkin SL, et al. Evidence of curcumin and curcumin analogue effects in skin diseases: A narrative review. Journal of cellular physiology. 20190201;234(2):1165-1178. doi:10.1002/jcp.27096
4. Zhang S, Wang J, Liu L, et al. Efficacy and safety of curcumin in psoriasis: preclinical and clinical evidence and possible mechanisms. Front Pharmacol. 2022;13:903160. doi:10.3389/fphar.2022.903160
5. Gamret AC, Price A, Fertig RM, Lev-Tov H, Nichols AJ. Complementary and Alternative Medicine Therapies for Psoriasis: A Systematic Review. JAMA Dermatol. 2018;154(11):1330-1337. doi:10.1001/jamadermatol.2018.2972
6. Park SY, Jin ML, Kim YH, Kim Y, Lee SJ. Aromatic-turmerone inhibits α-MSH and IBMX-induced melanogenesis by inactivating CREB and MITF signaling pathways. Arch Dermatol Res. 2011;303(10):737-744. doi:10.1007/s00403-011-1155-7
7. Giovannini L, Bianchi S. Role of nutraceutical SIRT1 modulators in AMPK and mTOR pathway: Evidence of a synergistic effect. Nutrition. 2017;34:82-96. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2016.09.008
8. Panchatcharam M, Miriyala S, Gayathri VS, Suguna L. Curcumin improves wound healing by modulating collagen and decreasing reactive oxygen species. Mol Cell Biochem. 2006;290(1-2):87-96. doi:10.1007/s11010-006-9170-2
9. Di Lorenzo R, Grumetto L, Sacchi A, Laneri S, Dini I. Dermocosmetic evaluation of a nutricosmetic formulation based on Curcuma. Phytother Res. 2023;37(5):1900-1910. doi:10.1002/ptr.7705
Article Sidebar
Article Details
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY): lets others distribute and copy the article, to create extracts, abstracts, and other revised versions, adaptations or derivative works of or from an article (such as a translation), to include in a collective work (such as an anthology), to text or data mine the article, even for commercial purposes, as long as they credit the author(s), do not represent the author as endorsing their adaptation of the article, and do not modify the article in such a way as to damage the author's honor or reputation.
Authors retain copyright in their work and license the publisher to publish the content. The publisher is the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine, with production and publishing support provided by OJS, Open Journal Systems,see https://pkp.sfu.
Prior to January 2022, authors transferred copyright to the National Society for Cutaneous Medicine. However, all articles are freely available to anyone in the world. There are no subscription fees, page charges, or article processing charges.