Seven antioxidants for healthy + glowing skin

 

1. Vitamin E tocopherol) – is a fat soluble vitamin that is present in the skin. Vitamin E helps the skin look soft, smooth and younger by boosting the production of collagen and help slow down premature aging. Vitamin E occurs in both natural and synthetic forms.
2. Resveratrol - is an antioxidant that is commonly found in red wine, berries, grapes and fruits. Resveratrol helps protect the skin against sun damages, has anti-inflammatory properties and help in collagen production to prevent premature aging.
3. Vitamin C – is a powerful antioxidant that help

Vitamin C Vitamin C (listed as ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, amonh others) is a potent antioxidant that works particularly well for treating wrinkles, dullness, and brown spots. This well-researched water-soluble vitamin is considered an anti-aging superstar. Note that vitamin C, like any antioxidant, must be packaged to protect it from excess exposure to light and air. Although ascorbic acid and L-ascorbic acid are the forms most prone to breaking down with repeated exposure to light and air, even the stabilized forms of vitamin C don't remain as potent if they are not packaged to minimize or eliminate their exposure to light and air. Avoid any vitamin C product packaged in a jar, unless what's inside the jar are individually sealed, single-use capsules. What it does: When applied topically, vitamin C has been proven to increase collagen production (including dermal collagen, which is significant in the fight against wrinkles). There is also research showing that vitamin C reduces skin discolorations, strengthens the skin's barrier response, enhances skin's repair process, reduces inflammation, and helps skin better withstand exposure to sunlight, whether protected by sunscreen or not. How cool is that?! Amounts from 0.5% to 20% have shown impressive efficacy. Vitamin C is found in all sorts of products, from lip balms to eye creams, but you'll get the most out of this antioxidant in targeted treatment products and skin-brightening serums.  

2. Lycopene Lycopene, a powerful antioxidant, is a carotenoid found in red fruits and vegetables. (4) It is, in fact, responsible for their red color. In addition to being a healthy choice for your diet, it's a great choice for improving skin texture because it promotes collagen production and reduces the DNA damage that leads to wrinkles. (5) To get the most benefit from this powerful antioxidant, you can either take a daily supplement or look for skin care products that contain it in topical formulas (lycopene is easily absorbed by the skin).
3. Green Tea Green Tea has become one of the new age food heroes -- a helpful ally in preventing everything from heart disease and cancer to skin aging and weight gain. The full range of heath benefits may take decades to define, but research on its impact on human skin is reasonably well developed. The secret ingredients are chemicals called catechins, which are antioxidants that can clear cell damage on the skin and repair wrinkles, blemishes or other impurities. (6) When applied to the skin, green tea can reduce sun damage by reducing inflammation and tackling free radicals. (7) (It doesn't block UV rays.) When choosing a tea, its helpful to know that green tea has over five times the amount of catechins as black tea. (8)
4. Coffee Berry As an ingredient in anti-aging formulas, coffee berry prevents collagen damage, reduces wrinkles and protects the skin against damage. (9) It also has anti-inflammatory properties (10), which can lessen the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, leading to more youthful looking skin.
5. Grape Seed Grape seed is extracted from vitis vinifera and is rich in proanthocyanidins, which belong to the flavonoid family. Proanthocyanidins are potent antioxidants with strong free radical scavenging activities. (15) Grape seed extract has been shown to be an even stronger scavenger of free radicals than vitamins C and E. (16)
6. Genistein Genistein is an isoflavone derived from soybeans with the capacity to inhibit UV-induced oxidative DNA damage. (17) Genistein, either topically applied or orally supplemented, was shown to effectively protect human skin against UVB-induced skin photodamage.
7. Niacinamide Niacinamide (vitamin B3) is a powerful antioxidant that has shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and depigmenting properties. It has also shown to improve the texture and tone of the skin, as well as reduce fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. (18)
8. Vitamin C Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid) is an essential nutrient that can only come from the healthy fruits and vegetables that contain it. Vitamin C is usually touted for its cold-fighting power, but it's also under study for its impact on preventing and reversing aging skin.

It works in two ways: as an antioxidant, as well as a booster of collagen formation -- both of which are important to preserving and maintaining skin's youthful appearance. (19-21) However, boosting your intake of vitamin C-rich foods does not appear to impact your skin to any measurable degree, so cosmetic companies are hard at work to study whether it can be absorbed through the skin directly via topical creams and lotions.