From Anirva, the maker of Dermal Radiance. This article is general information, not medical advice. These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Most people know milk thistle as a herb for the liver. It has a long record of traditional use in Europe. Researchers have also tested its main extract, called silymarin, on skin, in the lab and in people. Here we look at what milk thistle is, how it may work in skin and what the studies found. We also cover how much is in Dermal Radiance, and safety.
In this article
- Milk thistle extract comes from the seed-like fruit of the plant. Its active part is silymarin, a mixture of plant compounds. [1][3]
- Silymarin creams have been tested in people. In a placebo-controlled study in women aged 45 to 73, a cream with a milk thistle extract improved skin hydration over 56 days. [8]
- In lab tests, silymarin slowed an enzyme that breaks collagen down. Its compounds also slowed an enzyme that breaks down elastin. [4]
- Silymarin showed antioxidant activity in lab tests. In human skin cells exposed to UVA light, it lowered reactive oxygen by up to 40%. [4][6]
- Dermal Radiance contains 250 mg of milk thistle seed extract. It is standardized to 80% silymarin. [7]
Facts at a Glance
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Ingredient and form | Milk thistle seed (fruit) extract, standardized to 80% silymarin [7] |
| Amount in Dermal Radiance | 250 mg of extract — about 200 mg of silymarin at 80% [7] |
| Amounts used in the studies | Creams and serums with 0.5% to 5% silymarin; one oral trial; lab amounts added directly to enzymes or cells [4][5][8][11][15] |
| Kinds of evidence | Lab enzyme and cell tests; an animal (guinea pig) skin study; 8 human studies, mostly creams and serums, one oral trial [4][5][6][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] |
| Human studies cited here | 8 studies in people — healthy women and healthy volunteers (creams, a gel and an emulsion), and people with acne, rosacea, eczema or vitiligo (mostly creams and serums, one oral trial) |
| Regulatory guidance | EU lists milk thistle fruit as a traditional herbal product for digestion and liver support — no skin-related claim found [3] |
What Is Milk Thistle?
Milk thistle is a tall plant with large purple flowers. It is native to Europe, and it belongs to the same plant family as the daisy. [1][2]
The part used is the fruit, which the Dermal Radiance label calls the seed. [3][7] The active part of the extract is silymarin, a mixture of compounds. [1] These compounds are called flavonolignans, and they include silybin, isosilybin, silydianin and silychristin. [4]
European regulators list milk thistle fruit as a traditional herbal product for digestion and to support liver function. [3]
How Might Milk Thistle Work in Skin?
Collagen and elastin (lab tests)
In enzyme tests done outside the body, silymarin slowed collagenase, an enzyme that breaks collagen down. Its compounds also slowed elastase, an enzyme that breaks down elastin. [4] In human skin cells called fibroblasts, silymarin lowered enzymes that break down collagen. [9]
Antioxidant activity (lab tests)
Silymarin and its compounds neutralized free radicals in a standard lab test. [4] In human skin cells exposed to UVA light, silymarin lowered reactive oxygen by up to 40%. [6]
UV light (lab tests)
The compounds in silymarin absorbed UVA light in a lab measurement. [4]
What Does the Research Show?
The research on milk thistle and skin is still growing. It includes studies in people, most of them with creams, as well as lab and animal studies.
Studies in healthy adults
In a placebo-controlled study, 57 women aged 45 to 73 put a face cream on twice a day for 56 days. In the group that used a cream with 0.8% of a milk thistle extract, skin hydration rose by 5.3%, and the change was significant compared with placebo. A measure of wrinkle thickness around the eyes fell by 3.1%, about twice the change with placebo. Facial redness fell by 14.7%, and no one in that group reported irritation. [8]
In a 2026 study, an emulsion made with silymarin in its natural plant ratio was tested on human faces, and wrinkles were reduced. [9] In a 2023 study, healthy volunteers used gels made with silibinin, the main compound of silymarin. The gels caused no significant changes to the skin. [10]
Studies in people with skin conditions
Silymarin has also been tested in small trials in people with skin conditions. Most used creams or serums. One trial gave silymarin by mouth.
| Study | Who and How Long | What Was Used | What It Found |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kim 2023 [11] | 22 people with acne, 4 weeks | Serum with 0.5% silymarin, with their usual acne care | Scores and spot counts fell significantly; no adverse events |
| Draelos 2024 [12] | 56 people with acne, 12 weeks | Silymarin serum | 45% fewer inflamed spots and 43% fewer other spots |
| Berardesca 2008 [13] | 46 people with rosacea, 1 month | Cream with silymarin and MSM, or placebo | Redness, bumps, itching and hydration improved significantly |
| Iraji 2022 [14] | 40 people with eczema, 2 weeks | Cream with silymarin and Fumaria | Eczema score fell from about 26 to about 7 |
| Jowkar 2019 [15] | 34 people with vitiligo, with light therapy | Silymarin by mouth, or placebo | Severity score fell more with silymarin |
Several of these products contained other ingredients as well, so their results cannot be credited to silymarin alone.
Lab and animal studies
In 2019, researchers tested silymarin and five of its purified compounds in a set of lab tests. Silymarin was the most potent at slowing collagenase. The compounds also showed antioxidant activity and absorbed UVA light. [4]
In 2016, researchers put creams with 5% silymarin on the skin of guinea pigs, before or after UVB light. With two of the creams, the activity of two antioxidant enzymes in the skin rose significantly. [5]
Milk thistle is not a sunscreen. Experts suggest daily sunscreen and shade for sun care.
How Much Milk Thistle Is in Dermal Radiance Compared With the Studies?
| Source | Amount | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Dermal Radiance (2 capsules) | 250 mg of seed extract a day | 80% silymarin, from the label [7] |
| 2025 study in women | Cream with 0.8% extract | Put on the face twice a day [8] |
| Acne serum study | Serum with 0.5% silymarin | Put on the face [11] |
Dermal Radiance provides 250 mg of milk thistle seed extract. At 80%, that is 200 mg of silymarin, by our calculation.
Most studies in people used creams, which put silymarin straight onto the skin. A cream strength cannot be compared with an amount taken by mouth.
Milk Thistle in Food and Drink
Milk thistle is not a common food. In Europe, it is taken as a herbal tea, as a liquid or as a solid extract. [3]
What the Research Does Not Show Yet
- Most studies in people used creams. We found no trial of milk thistle by mouth that measured skin in healthy adults.
- Results in the lab and in animals do not always carry over to people.
- We found no study of milk thistle combined with the other Dermal Radiance ingredients.
Safety and Interactions
Milk thistle appears to be well tolerated. The most common side effects are digestive, such as bloating, nausea and gas. [1] Headache and allergic skin reactions have also been reported. [3]
People who are allergic to plants of the daisy family should not take milk thistle. This family includes ragweed, chrysanthemum and marigold. [1][3]
Milk thistle may change how the body handles some medicines. Examples are the blood thinner warfarin and the transplant medicine sirolimus. [2] It may also affect blood sugar. [1] Little is known about its use during pregnancy or breastfeeding. [1]
Milk thistle is a traditional herb with a long record of use, and it appears to be well tolerated. [1][3] A few points can help you use it well:
Milk Thistle Is One Part of Dermal Radiance
Dermal Radiance is a daily two-capsule supplement with 20 vitamins, minerals and plant extracts. They were chosen to support healthy collagen, skin firmness and elasticity, and radiance. Milk thistle seed extract is one of them.
Dermal Radiance has not been clinically tested as a finished product. For this reason, we cannot say how its ingredients work together. The studies in this article tested silymarin in the lab, in animals and in people, mostly with creams and serums.
If you take Dermal Radiance, you are not relying on milk thistle alone. It is one of 20 ingredients in each serving. Every ingredient and amount is listed on the label. [7]
About Dermal Radiance
A daily two-capsule formula with 20 vitamins, minerals and plant extracts, including 250 mg of milk thistle seed extract per serving. Dermal Radiance hasn't been clinically tested as a finished formula. The label lists every ingredient and its amount.
See the Dermal Radiance product page →If You Are Deciding
Milk thistle is a traditional herb. Lab studies link silymarin to collagen, elastin and antioxidant defense, and a cream study in women found better skin hydration. [4][8] In Dermal Radiance it is one of 20 ingredients, next to nutrients that have human skin studies. If you would like to try Dermal Radiance, the directions are two capsules a day with a meal. [7]
The Short Version
Milk thistle extract supplies silymarin, a mixture of plant compounds from the fruit of the plant. In lab tests, silymarin slowed enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, and it showed antioxidant activity. In people, silymarin creams have been tested in healthy women and in people with skin conditions. Dermal Radiance provides 250 mg of milk thistle seed extract.
Frequently Asked Questions
References
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, National Institutes of Health. Milk Thistle: Usefulness and Safety. Last updated February 2025.
- Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. About Herbs: Milk Thistle. Last updated July 22, 2026.
- European Medicines Agency. Silybi mariani fructus (milk thistle fruit): herbal medicinal product.
- Vostálová J, Tinková E, Biedermann D, Kosina P, Ulrichová J, Rajnochová Svobodová A. Skin protective activity of silymarin and its flavonolignans. Molecules. 2019;24(6):1022. doi:10.3390/molecules24061022.
- Fehér P, Ujhelyi Z, Váradi J, et al. Efficacy of pre- and post-treatment by topical formulations containing dissolved and suspended Silybum marianum against UVB-induced oxidative stress in guinea pig and on HaCaT keratinocytes. Molecules. 2016;21(10):1269. doi:10.3390/molecules21101269.
- Fidrus E, Ujhelyi Z, Fehér P, et al. Silymarin: friend or foe of UV exposed keratinocytes? Molecules. 2019;24(9):1652. doi:10.3390/molecules24091652.
- Anirva. Dermal Radiance Supplement Facts label and product page.
- Boira C, Chapuis E, Lapierre L, Tiguemounine J, Scandolera A, Reynaud R. Silybum marianum extract: a highly effective natural alternative to retinoids to prevent skin aging without side effects. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2025;24:e16613. doi:10.1111/jocd.16613.
- Hou S, Wang A, Song H, Li A. Enhanced anti-aging properties of silymarin with a natural phytochemical ratio over commercial formulations. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2026. doi:10.1111/jocd.70780. PMID: 41787247.
- Marchiori MCL, Rigon C, Jardim FDS, Giuliani LM, Copetti PM, Sagrillo MR, Ourique AF, Cruz L. Hydrogel containing silibinin-loaded pomegranate oil-based nanocapsules for cutaneous application: in vitro safety investigation and human skin biometry and permeation studies. AAPS PharmSciTech. 2023;24(6):138. doi:10.1208/s12249-023-02606-8. PMID: 37349650.
- Kim J, Lee YN, Lee JH, Lee SG, Kim H, Choi YS, Draelos ZD, Kim J. Efficacy and safety of silymarin containing antioxidant serum as an adjuvant treatment of mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris: a prospective, open-label pilot study. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2023;22(2):561-568. doi:10.1111/jocd.15439. PMID: 36204969.
- Draelos ZD, Kerscher MJ, Lynch S, White S, Choudhary H. A silymarin antioxidant serum improves facial acne alone and as part of a treatment regimen. J Drugs Dermatol. 2024;23(4):233-238. doi:10.36849/JDD.8120. PMID: 38564394.
- Berardesca E, Cameli N, Cavallotti C, Levy JL, Pierard G, De Paoli G. Combined effects of silymarin and methylsulfonylmethane in the management of rosacea: clinical and instrumental evaluation. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008;7(1):8-14. doi:10.1111/j.1473-2165.2008.00355.x. PMID: 18254805.
- Iraji F, Sharif Makhmalzadeh B, Abedini M, Aghaei A, Siahpoush A. Effect of herbal cream containing Fumaria officinalis and silymarin for treatment of eczema: a randomized double-blind controlled clinical trial. Avicenna J Phytomed. 2022;12(2):155-162. doi:10.22038/AJP.2022.19492. PMID: 35614885.
- Jowkar F, Godarzi H, Parvizi MM. Can we consider silymarin as a treatment option for vitiligo? A double-blind controlled randomized clinical trial of phototherapy plus oral Silybum marianum product versus phototherapy alone. J Dermatolog Treat. 2020;31(3):256-260. doi:10.1080/09546634.2019.1595506. PMID: 30935260.
