Viola Tricolor: Hydration From the Inside Out

A different kind of moisture

Most moisturisers work from the outside in. They form a film on the surface or reinforce the skin barrier so less water escapes. That matters, but it only slows the loss. It doesn’t change how well the skin moves water to where it is needed.

Viola tricolor, the wild pansy, takes a different route. Its polysaccharides support the skin’s own water-transport system, a family of tiny channels called aquaporins. Improving that internal water flow is a newer, more biological approach to hydration.

Aquaporin-3: the skin’s water channels

Aquaporin-3 (AQP3) is the most abundant aquaporin in human skin. It sits in the membranes of the living cells of the epidermis, mostly in the deepest, basal layer [1][2]. AQP3 lets water and glycerol, one of the skin’s own natural moisturisers, pass through cells along osmotic gradients, so water can travel towards the drier upper layers [1].

Research shows how much this matters. In mice without AQP3, the water content of the outer skin layer was roughly halved, skin elasticity was about 50% lower, and the barrier took about twice as long to recover after damage [3]. AQP3 also helps skin cells migrate and multiply during wound healing [2].

AQP3 declines with age. In a study comparing young and old mice, older skin had significantly lower AQP3 levels and lower water content, while its barrier was no weaker [2]. That suggests some age-related dryness comes from weaker internal water transport, not just water escaping through the surface.

What Viola tricolor does

Viola tricolor has a long history in European herbal medicine for the skin. The European Medicines Agency recognises it as a traditional herbal remedy for mild seborrhoeic skin conditions [4].

Modern laboratory work on its polysaccharides points to three effects that work together:

• More active water channels. Viola polysaccharides have been shown to increase aquaporin-3 activity, helping water reach the parts of the epidermis where it is lacking.
• More hyaluronic acid. They increase the amount of hyaluronic acid in the epidermis. Hyaluronic acid binds water and helps skin hold on to it.
• More hyaluronic acid receptors. They increase production of CD44, the receptor on skin cells that binds hyaluronic acid, so the skin can make better use of it.

The result is skin that moves water better, holds it more effectively and stays hydrated from within.

From hydration to firmer skin

Well-hydrated cells work more efficiently. When the epidermis has the water it needs, cells can keep up their normal activity, including making proteins such as collagen that keep skin firm and smooth. Over time, that can soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

The research on AQP3 points the same way: in the mouse studies, healthy AQP3 levels went hand in hand with better hydration, elasticity and barrier recovery [3].

Where you find it

At TARAMAR, you’ll find Viola tricolor in three products:

• The Eye Treatment. The skin around the eyes is thin and dries out easily, and it is often the first place to show lost firmness. Here, Viola works alongside Edelweiss and our Icelandic seaweed extract to hydrate from within and support firmer, smoother skin.
• The Serum. Our signature formula for deep hydration and long-term structural support, where Viola helps the skin move and hold water where it is needed.
• Arctic Flower Treatment. Where Viola adds its hydrating action to a blend of Arctic botanicals that calm and brighten the skin.

Sources

[1] Draelos, Z.D. (2012). Aquaporins: an introduction to a key factor in the mechanism of skin hydration. Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 5(7), 53–56.

[2] Ikarashi, N., Kon, R., Kaneko, M., Mizukami, N., Kusunoki, Y., & Sugiyama, K. (2017). Relationship between aging-related skin dryness and aquaporins. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 18(7), 1559.

[3] Hara, M., Ma, T., & Verkman, A.S. (2002). Selectively reduced glycerol in skin of aquaporin-3-deficient mice may account for impaired skin hydration, elasticity, and barrier recovery. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 277(48), 46616–46621.

[4] European Medicines Agency (2010). Community herbal monograph on Viola tricolor L., herba cum flore. EMA/HMPC/131734/2009.