Goji berry extract comes from the fruit of Lycium barbarum, a plant long used in traditional Chinese medicine, and is a rich source of antioxidant carotenoids like zeaxanthin along with polysaccharides.
Laboratory research has found that a zeaxanthin rich extract from goji berries can selectively support the health of normal skin cells while showing different effects on abnormal ones, pointing to a genuine biological activity worth further study.
Separate animal research combining goji berry with other plant extracts found it helped reduce skin aging caused by glycation, a process where sugar molecules damage collagen over time. Human clinical trials focused specifically on topical goji berry extract remain limited.
Goji Berry Extract References
Zeaxanthin Rich Extract from Lycium barbarum Selectively Modulates the Cellular Adhesion and MAPK Signaling in Melanoma versus Normal Skin Cells In Vitro, International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021
AGEs Blocker (Goji Berry, Fig, and Korean Mint Mixed Extract) Inhibits Skin Aging Caused by Streptozotocin Induced Glycation in Hairless Mice, 2023
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