In this study, paeoniflorin (PF), the active constituent of Paeonia lactiflora, was encapsulated within Paeonia lactiflora derived extracellular vesicle-like particles (PL-EVLP) to augment anti-skin-aging efficacy. A hydrogel system (PF@PL-EVLP Gel) was subsequently engineered to further enhance the formulation's stability and transdermal delivery efficiency. PL-EVLP were isolated by differential centrifugation, and paeoniflorin-loaded PL-EVLP (PF@PL-EVLP) were prepared via ultrasound-assisted freeze-thaw cycling. The resulting PF@PL-EVLP exhibited cup-shaped, bilayer-membrane nanostructures with a mean diameter of approximately 148.07 nm, a high drug-loading capacity, and favorable stability. PF@PL-EVLP Gel was fabricated using Carbomer 934 as the gel matrix. Within the hydrogel system, extracellular vesicles maintained structural integrity and uniform dispersion, exhibiting excellent stability. In vitro release studies demonstrated that both PF@PL-EVLP and PF@PL-EVLP Gel exhibited sustained-release characteristics. In vitro pharmacodynamic studies revealed that PF@PL-EVLP exerts robust protection against oxidative damage, significantly elevating intracellular superoxide dismutase (SOD) and hydroxyproline (HYP) levels while markedly reducing malondialdehyde (MDA), matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) contents. Compared with the solution group, PF@PL-EVLP Gel increased the cumulative transdermal permeation by approximately 10.82-fold, the local skin retention by 7.38-fold, and the cumulative permeation rate by 9.36-fold. In vivo pharmacodynamic evaluations demonstrated that PF@PL-EVLP Gel exerts pronounced anti-skin-aging effects, as evidenced by increased skin hydration, elevated dermal collagen-fiber density, and prevention of D-galactose-induced epidermal and dermal thinning. ELISA analyses revealed that the hydrogel significantly augmented cutaneous total antioxidant capacity (T-AOC), catalase (CAT), SOD, HYP, and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) levels, concomitantly attenuating dermal MDA and MMP-1 contents; serum SOD was also upregulated and MDA downregulated. Western blot confirmed that the formulation mitigates keratinocyte apoptosis via BAX down-regulation. These findings provide a robust foundation for the topical application of Paeonia lactiflora extracellular vesicle-based hydrogel systems in transdermal delivery of active phytoconstituents for skin-aging retardation. The animal experiments were approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine (approval numbers: PZSHUTCM2503120002, PZSHUTCM230907004).