Chrysanthemum in skin lightening and anti-photoaging: Phytochemical basis, mechanistic convergence, and translational evidence

Skin lightening and anti-photoaging are often treated as separate functional domains, yet in photoexposed skin they are closely linked through shared mechanisms involving oxidative stress, inflammatory signaling, melanogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling. Within this framework, Chrysanthemum morifolium and related species such as Chrysanthemum indicum have attracted attention as multifunctional botanicals because their major phytochemical classes, including flavonoids, phenolic acids, volatile constituents, and terpenoids, map onto several of these interconnected processes. This review summarizes recent progress on Chrysanthemum in skin lightening and anti-photoaging, with emphasis on phytochemical basis, mechanistic relevance, and translational evidence. Representative constituents are associated with melanogenesis regulation, redox and inflammatory control, matrix preservation, and fibroblast support. Overall, current evidence supports Chrysanthemum as a biologically plausible multi-component active for conditions in which pigmentation abnormality coexists with photodamage. However, the evidence base remains clearly tiered: mechanistic and preclinical findings are substantial, whereas clinical validation remains limited and currently supports skin lightening more clearly than broad antiaging efficacy. This review therefore clarifies both the scientific value and the present translational boundaries of Chrysanthemum in modern skin care. © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY license. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/