João Ferreira

The largest human organ, the skin, serves a variety of essential functions including protection, preservation of water and electrolytes, regulation of body temperature, and fat storage. Its maintenance and preservation are supported by cosmetic products, whose functions include cleaning, protection, and modulation. The market for these products is predicted to increase from 100.13 billion USD in 2021 to 145.82 billion USD in 2028. Recently, it has been suggested that grape by-products (totalling 14.5 million tons per year just in Europe) has a great potential to be used in the creation of new cosmetic products. In this regard, this article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the bioactive compounds in grape pomace, the advantages of applying them to the skin, and the main cosmetic products already on the market incorporating these bioactives. Most of these compounds are derived from the Vitis vinifera L. species, and exhibit several biological properties, such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, inhibition of skin degrading enzymes, protection from UVA damage, increased cell viability, and skin whitening effect. On the other hand, nanoencapsulation techniques can provide a significant improvement in the stability of grape-derived bioactive compounds, in particular of resveratrol, and this issue is also addressed in a critical manner in this review.