Published in the journal Phytomedicines Plusfindings showed significant improvements in clinical cellulite score after two and three months of 12.2% and 13.6%, respectively. The study also reported a reduction in upper thigh circumference and skin roughness.
The study used an extract of French maritime pine bark marketed as Pycnogenol and supplied by the Swiss company Horphag Research, which funded the study.
Study details
In what researchers described as a first-of-its-kind clinical trial, a total of 60 Han Chinese women between the ages of 25 and 45 were randomly assigned to consume a placebo or French pine bark extract for 12 weeks.
Participants in the intervention group consumed one 50 mg capsule each morning and two 50 mg capsules each evening, for a total daily dose of 150 mg. This daily dose of 150 mg was chosen based on previous research showing its effectiveness in treatment of edema in chronic venous insufficiency and quiescent skin flow in menopausal women.
During the study, participants were instructed to refrain from using topical products that may interfere with the treatment of cellulite.
The researchers used the Hexsel Cellulite Severity (HCSS), a scoring system that assesses the five important clinical and morphological aspects of cellulite, to assess changes in cellulite severity.
They include the number of visibly depressed lesions, the depth of the depressions, the morphological appearance of skin surface changes, the degree of skin laxity or laxity, and the degree of cellulitis.
Other parameters were also measured, including body mass index (BMI), thigh circumference and normal skin condition.
Findings showed a significant improvement in HCSS scores (12.2% reduction) in the intervention group as early as eight weeks of supplementation.
By the end of the study, the score in the intervention group decreased significantly from baseline of 7.1 ± 0.2 to 6.1 ± 0.2 (13.6% reduction).
Although not statistically significant compared to baseline levels, there was a 9% drop in the placebo group—down to 6.2 ± 0.2 from 6.8 ± 0.2.
Cellulite reduction associated with a smaller upper thigh
The reduction in cellulite in the intervention group was also accompanied by a reduction in upper thigh circumference.
By the end of the 12-week study, upper thigh circumference had decreased significantly from baseline by 2.07 cm ± 0.4. The improvement was also statistically significant compared to the placebo group, which saw a reduction of only 0.9 cm ± 0.3.
The reduction in upper thigh circumference using French maritime pine bark extract was also greater than some FDA-approved cellulite reduction treatments, the researchers said, citing existing research.
VelaSmooth, for example, combines infrared light, radio frequency energy and tissue mobilization, with a reported reduction in upper thigh circumference of 0.53 cm.
SmoothShapes, a low-level, dual-wavelength laser and massager, on the other hand, reportedly resulted in a 0.82 cm reduction in upper thigh circumference.
Erchonia GLS, a low-level laser treatment using green diodes, was found to produce results in the same range as French maritime pine bark extract, with a reduction of approximately 2.36 cm.
Horphag Research believes that the findings of this clinical trial will open doors for further investigation of Pycnogenol’s role in supporting tissue structure and microcirculation.
Future research may also examine broader populations or complementary assessment methods.
Reduced skin roughness, improved skin softness
French maritime pine bark extract also led to significant improvements in two other parameters—namely, skin roughness and skin smoothness.
Both skin roughness and smoothness were measured using the VisioScan VC20, where lower values reflect a smoother image.
In terms of skin roughness, the researchers reported significant and persistent improvements in the intervention group from the second month of the study. In contrast, the placebo group experienced a significant but transient improvement.
“A transient significant improvement after two months was observed in the placebo group, and a significant and persistent reduction in roughness was observed after two months and three months by 29% and 32% in the verum group,” the researchers wrote.
A similar trend was observed in skin softness.
“In the placebo group, there was mainly no significant effect except at day 28 and 56 from a median of 169 (151 to 192) to 155 (136 to 164) with a p value of 0.012.
“In contrast, in the verum group, a significant improvement in skin smoothness over time was detected. Smoothness was found to be 149 (132 to 169) and 146 (130 to 165) after eight and 12 weeks, respectively. This corresponds to a 10% improvement over time,” the researchers added.
Overall, this is the first randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study to successfully compare the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and microcirculatory-enhancing efficacy of a dietary supplement containing FMPBE with a placebo using a validated clinical cellulite score.
“The data indicate a significant improvement in the clinical cellulite score at two and three months of 12.2% and 13.6% in the verum group, which was associated with a clinical improvement seen by photographs and a significant reduction in upper thigh circumference at three months.”
Source: Phytomedicine Plus. doi: 10.1016/j.phyplu.2025.100821. “A French maritime pine bark extract relieves cellulite: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial.” Authors: Qi Liu et al.
