Multifunctional Skin Dermal Extracellular Matrix Enabling Skin-Relevant Bioactivity for Tissue Remodeling, Hydration, and Anti-Hyperpigmentation

Dermal extracellular matrix (ECM) deterioration is a central driver of skin aging, contributing to impaired elasticity, decreased moisturization, and uneven pigmentation. However, commonly used single-component ingredients and cell-derived bioactives provide limited coordinated cues and may therefore be insufficient to address these multifactorial processes. Here, we propose decellularized skin-derived ECM (skin ECM) as a multifunctional cosmetic ingredient through comparison with various existing cosmetic ingredients. Proteomic analysis shows that skin ECM retains diverse collagen subtypes along with glycoproteins and proteoglycans associated with dermal tensile properties and matrix regulation, more closely reflecting native dermal matrisome diversity than commercial collagen products. Skin ECM at an optimal concentration most effectively upregulates the expression of genes involved in ECM remodeling and hyaluronan-mediated hydration in human dermal fibroblasts. In comparative supplementation assay, skin ECM enhances fibroblast metabolic activity and induces the strongest expression of key ECM- and hydration-related genes among all tested ingredients. Interestingly, skin ECM reduces the expression of melanogenesis-related markers and melanin accumulation in melanoma cells under experimental conditions with α-melanocyte stimulating hormone treatment. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential of skin ECM for cosmetic applications to improve overall skin conditioning and its broader promise for anti-skin aging.