Viral Skincare Trend Actually Works. Students and dermatologists at Penn set out to discover how rosemary and its extract could heal damaged skin without leaving scars.
The growing social media craze promoting rosemary and rosemary extract in skincare routines now has scientific evidence to support it. Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania report in JCI Insight that a natural compound found in rosemary leaves could play a key role in improving wound healing and reducing the formation of scars.
“Many skin injuries end in scars, and in some people, it can lead to long-term cosmetic and even functional issues,” said senior author Thomas Leung, MD, PhD, an associate professor of Dermatology at Penn. “Our findings suggest that rosemary extract, and specifically the antioxidant, carnosic acid, can shift the healing process from scarring to healthy skin regeneration. We don’t have proven ways to consistently do that in humans.”
The idea for the study began in an unexpected place: TikTok and Instagram. After noticing that beauty influencers and skincare enthusiasts were sharing claims about rosemary’s ability to promote healing, Penn undergraduate student Jiayi Pang and PhD candidate Emmanuel Rapp Reyes became curious. They approached Leung for guidance and decided to put those viral claims to the test through controlled laboratory experiments.
