In order to evaluate anti-wrinkle activity of Carex humilis extract, free radical scavenging activity, elastase inhibitory activity and reduction of expression Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) mRNA and MMP-1 protein were investigated. The roots of Carex humilis were extracted with 95 % ethanol and successively partitioned with organic solvents with increasing polarity of the solvents. Each fraction of organic solvent were investigated by using free radical scavenging activity and elastase inhibitory activity test. Among them, EtOAc fraction showed antioxidant activity ($SC_{50}$=4.89 ${mu}g/mL$) and elastase inhibitory activity ($IC_{50}$=23.5 ${mu}g/mL$). EtOAc fraction was developed on silica gel by open-column chromatography and consecutively re-developed on C18 resin by prep-HPLC to give ${alpha}$-viniferin as a major component, which was confirmed by spectrometric analysis. In the assay on expression of MMP-1 mRNA by RT-PCR and protein by western-blot, EtOAc layer (10 ~ 100 ${mu}g/mL$) was reduced about 50 ~ 60 %, 50 ~ 65 % respectively and ${alpha}$-viniferin (0.5 ~ 2 ${mu}g/mL$) was inhibited about 60 ~ 75 %, 55 ~ 65 % respectively in human fibroblast. Therefore, our findings suggest that EtOAc layer of Carex humilis containing ${alpha}$-viniferin can be useful as an active ingredient for cosmeceuticals of anti-wrinkle effects.