Five Super Anti-Aging Antioxidants Your Skin Needs

Looking for tips to attain younger-looking skin? When it comes to anti-aging ingredients, the research is clear: Antioxidants are essential, and the more you apply them to your skin, the better! Just like your diet, your skin needs a mix of healthy, beneficial nutrients. The skin is the largest organ of your body, so nourishing its surface with beneficial ingredients like antioxidants is important.

Antioxidants not only help combat the elements responsible for the visible signs of aging but can also calm the skin, help reveal a more youthful appearance, and revitalise dull-looking skin due to airborne pollutants and blue light exposure.

What are antioxidants in skincare?

Antioxidants in skincare are molecules that fight some of the most visible signs of aging—among them, discolouration, fine lines and wrinkles, and loss of firmness. Decades of research has shown that not only are antioxidants valuable for overall health when they’re taken orally (either in supplements or in fruits and vegetables), but they also have remarkable effects when included in skincare products. Topical antioxidants are proven to be essential components in any anti-aging skincare routine.

What do antioxidants do for your skin?

The single biggest benefit antioxidants provide to the skin is their ability to fight free radical damage. Free radicals are compounds inside the body that are a byproduct of environmental stressors. Free radicals damage cells, which over time can result in the familiar signs of visible aging we all know. Antioxidants combat this free radical damage so your skin can remain younger and healthier looking.

Which antioxidant is best for the skin?

We’re often asked, “What are the best antioxidants for skin?” There are dozens of phenomenally effective antioxidants, and we use them with gusto in Paula’s Choice skincare products. Despite the seemingly endless array of good antioxidants, there are a few that really stand out. Each has an outstanding performance record when it comes to taking the best care of your skin—and knowing which ones to look for can make shopping for great skincare a lot easier!

1. Vitamin E

Vitamin E (often listed as tocopherol or tocotrienol) is one of the most well-known antioxidants. This fat-soluble vitamin is available in both natural and synthetic forms. Research shows that both forms provide significant antioxidant benefits to the skin, but the natural form is more potent and lasts longer within the skin compared to synthetic counterparts.

What it does: Vitamin E works in several ways to protect and defend skin from outside elements that can affect the skin negatively. Vitamin E is often found in sunscreens because of its supporting role in helping defend skin from the stress caused by UV light exposure.

Vitamin E also synergises with vitamin C, so a face serum that contains both vitamin C and vitamin E can be doubly beneficial. Look for serums with both Vitamin E and Vitamin C like the RESIST Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum with Vitamin C.

2. Vitamin C

Vitamin C (listed as ascorbic acid, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and various other names) is a potent antioxidant that’s particularly effective in diminishing the look of fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, and uneven skin tone. This well-researched, water-soluble vitamin is considered an anti-aging superstar for all skin types.

What it does: When applied topically, vitamin C has been proven to preserve skin’s resiliency, so it takes on a firmer feeling and smoother appearance. Research shows that vitamin C can also improve uneven skin tone and brighten dull skin so it’s visibly more radiant and youthful.

Like most antioxidants, vitamin C can also calm and help hydrate the skin, so it’s better able to withstand the rigours of daily life and environmental stressors.

Vitamin C in concentrations from 0.5% to 20% has shown impressive efficacy. Vitamin C is found in all sorts of skincare products, from lip balms to eye creams, but you’ll get the most out of this antioxidant if it’s in a  targeted treatment product like a serum.

3. Resveratrol

Resveratrol is a potent polyphenolic antioxidant that’s found in red grapes, red wine, nuts, and fruits such as blueberries and cranberries. Mounting research is showing that resveratrol is another antioxidant superhero for your skin.

What it does: Applied topically, resveratrol helps protect your skin’s surface, interrupts and helps rebuff negative environmental influences, and brightens a dull, tired-looking complexion. It also has significant skin-calming properties that may help minimise the look of redness and phytoestrogen properties that help oestrogen-deficient skin combat crepiness and dryness. Look for resveratrol in serums like the RESIST Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum with Hyaluronic Acid.

4. Retinol

Retinol  (the technical term for vitamin A) has a long-established reputation as one of the most extraordinary ingredients for the skin. It’s both a skin-restoring ingredient and an antioxidant. Retinol provides multiple benefits for almost every skincare concern imaginable, from uneven skin tone, bumps, and enlarged pores, to rough surface texture, fine lines, and wrinkles. It can also improve skin luminosity.

What it does: Retinol has been shown to improve skin’s resilience, which contributes to its overall feeling of firmness and a more youthful, healthier appearance. Due to its anti-aging ability, retinol is a key ingredient to look for if you want to minimise the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, dullness, and uneven skin tone.

As an added benefit, retinol has also been shown to unclog congested pores and soften the appearance of the red areas that many people perceive as surface imperfections.

Retinol is found in all types of products, from moisturizers and serums to body treatments and many others. Concentrations ranging from 0.01%-1% are effective, and many people like to begin with the lowest concentration and gradually “step up” to more potent retinol products once they see how their skin responds.

5. Green Tea

Green tea is a potent antioxidant when applied topically. A significant amount of research has established that tea—green, black, or white—has many intriguing anti-aging benefits. The key compound in green tea that provides its skincare kick is epigallocatechin-3 gallate (EGCG).

What it does: Current research indicates that EGCG extract applied topically, can help defend your skin’s surface from environmental factors that have the most pronounced negative effects on it. Green tea also has a distinct calming effect, making it a great ingredient to visibly soothe red areas. Look for green tea in moisturizers, including those suitable for rosacea-prone skin. This powerful ingredient is also featured in targeted treatments like Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.

Antioxidants perform even better together

When it comes to your skin and antioxidants, remember the old adage: "There’s strength in numbers." When the top-notch antioxidants detailed above are combined to work together, and reinforced with the daily use of sunscreen, the visible results can be remarkable!

Important note: Antioxidants break down when exposed to light and air, so it’s essential to make sure the products you buy are packaged in opaque and airtight or air-restrictive containers. That means no jar packaging, otherwise these vital but unstable ingredients will begin to lose their effectiveness once you open the container.

Dr. Corey L. Hartman notes, “Antioxidants are part of the non-negotiable skincare ingredients that virtually everyone benefits from incorporating into their daily skincare regimen. While the regimen doesn’t have to be product heavy or labour-intensive, it is important to be consistent with the regimen once devised in order to see the results of the treatment.”

Learn more about anti-aging & wrinkle solutions and shop our range of anti-aging skincare products.

References for this information

• Scientia Pharmaceutica, June 2020, pages 1–17
• Journal of Dermatological Science, May 2018, ePublication
• Journal of Cosmetic and Laser Therapy, May 2018, pages 1-7
• Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition, May 2017, pages 1,631-1,637
• International Journal of Cosmetic Science, February 2015, pages 455-464
• Journal of the America Academy of Dermatology, November 2012, pages 1,103-1,024
• Dermatoendocrinology, July 2012, pages 308-319
• Archives of Biochemistry and Biophysics, April 2011, pages 164-170
• Skin Research and Technology, August 2008, pages 376-380
• Food and Chemical Toxicology, April 2008, pages 1,298-1,307
• Canadian Family Physician, July 2006, pages 855-856
• Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, December 1997, pages 14138–14143