You know all about antioxidants. Wearing one every day is almost as important as applying SPF. Antioxidants protect your skin from free-radical damage by scooping up wayward electrons that would otherwise attack your cells (and result in the breakdown of collagen and elastin, which leads to wrinkles and sagging). But that's old news.
Here's a new piece to the anti-aging puzzle: You should also wear antioxidants at night. As we age, our skin loses its ability to repair itself while we sleep -- and quality sleep is critical for healthy-looking skin. One antioxidant in particular -- resveratrol -- can improve skin's nighttime repair functions, boost antioxidant production within skin cells and even trigger fibroblast cells to make more collagen, says New Orleans dermatologist Patricia Farris, MD.
Even though resveratrol -- a polyphenol that comes from grapes, wine, nuts, and other plants -- has been used in skin care for decades, the latest products contain updated versions of the ingredient. Resveratrol has been notoriously tricky to incorporate into products because it breaks down when it's exposed to air and light, says Farris. But scientists have finally stabilized pure resveratrol. Here are the newest resveratrol products to buy for maximum anti-aging benefits -- while you sleep.
Skinceuticals only launches new products once in a blue moon, so when they brought together a team of scientists and dermatologists to present this serum to a room full of beauty editors, I knew it was going to be a doozy. It's a combination of one-percent pure resveratrol (the highest available on the market) with baicalin (another antioxidant) and vitamin E -- which, according to thorough research, boost the effectiveness of the resveratrol. And unlike most resveratrol that's derived from grapes, this version comes from the knotweed plant, which is even more potent.
The serum has a gel-like texture, minimal scent and sinks in instantly. And, according to ultrasound tests, it can increase skin density by about 19 percent after 12 weeks. In a word: impressive.
French company Caudalie has been formulating products with resveratrol for more than 20 years. In 2007, they patented resveratrol-oleyl, which combines resveratrol with oleic acid -- an ingredient that stabilizes the grape derivative while also fighting glycation. (You can read all about the horrors of glycation here.) This serum has a beautiful, creamy texture, and it also contains peptides to firm the skin -- you'll notice a difference the very next morning.
When Japanese skin care company DHC combined the resveratrol trend with the Asian skin care lotion trend, this product was born. It's a light, water-like texture that you can use underneath a serum. So, if you're already happy with your regimen but you want to add resveratrol, apply this right after cleansing.
If you're looking to brighten dark spots while boosting your antioxidant defense with resveratrol, this serum combines the two. It contains a special ingredient (mysteriously called 4MSK) that slows melanin production. You can use it as a spot treatment, but for maximum resveratrol benefits slather it all over.
