skin smart
Research
is fi nding
new ways
to use
antioxidants
to heal
skin faster
and to
prevent
pimples.says. Try the powerhouse com-
bos in Elizabeth Arden Prevage
City Smart Broad Spectrum SPF
50 Hydrating Shield with ide-
benone, ferulic acid, and green
tea ($68, elizabetharden.com)
or iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum
Advance+ ($14 2 , dermstore.com)
with vitamins C and E.Start and end your
day with them
Derms used to recommend
antioxidants for only the a.m.,
since skin isn’t exposed to much
at night. “But now research
shows inflammation from day-
time UV damage can persist forantioxidants can be useful in theAt night, use resveratrol and
coenzyme Q10. “Resveratrol
turns on the mechanism your
body uses to make its own anti-
oxidants,” Dr. Farris says. And
that preps skin for the next day’s
battle. Meanwhile, coenzyme
Q1 0 upregulates ATP, which
cells need for energy. “Every
repair process requires ATP; the
more you have, the better,” Dr.
Baumann says. That’s especially
true at night, when skin shifts
into repair mode. Try Caudalie
Resveratrol Lift Serum ($8 2 ,
caudalie.com) or Jan Marini Age
Intervention Peptide Extreme
with coenzyme Q 10 ($99,
janmarini.com). The one antiox-
idant to avoid at night is vitamin
C; see “Vitamin C can be finicky.”
Antioxidants
are workhorses
Free radicals can damage
sebum (your skin’s natural oils),
which then promotes inflam-
mation around follicles and can
lead to breakouts, Dr. Zeichner
says. “Inflammation is a driving
factor in acne and precedes the
pimples themselves.” But if you
incorporate antioxidants into
your routine, you can keep pim-
ples at bay. For the occasionalbreakout, however, swap out
antioxidants for acne therapies.
“That’s because I’ve found that
vitamin C can make existing
acne worse,” Dr. Baumann says.
And vitamin E, a lipid-soluble
antioxidant, may be too heavy
for those with clogged pores.the overproduction of pigment
in skin, which is what causes
uneven tone and sunspots.
Infrared light, a.k.a. heat energy
produced by all types of light
and things like the stove and
even your blow-dryer , can turn
on skin’s pigment-making cells,
Dr. Zeichner says. Sunscreens
like SkinMedica Total
Defense + Repair SPF 34 ($68,
skinmedica.com) are formu-
lated with antioxidants tolight; SkinCeuticals C E Ferulica combo of vitamins C and E
and ferulic acid to pull double
duty: Research shows it blocks
damage from infrared light, plus
vitamin C prevents the forma-
tion of melanin. Cut off the flow
of melanin, and over time pig-
mented cells slough off to make
way for more even-toned skin.
Lastly, antioxidants help
skin heal because they have
anti-inflammatory properties.
Derms are applying antioxi-
dants immediately after laser
procedures and recommend-
ing that patients continue to
use them during the recovery
process. Doing so reduces red-
ness after a treatment by a day
or two and increases wound
healing, according to a study in
Lasers in Surgery and Medicine,
which compared a vitamin C, E,
and ferulic serum with a control.Vitamin C
can be fi nicky
It’s high-maintenance, but put
up with it because it’s so worth
it. “Vitamin C doesn’t play
nicely with glycolic or salicylicacids or retinol,” Dr. Zeichner
says. It’s most effective in
a low-pH environment, and
those ingredients are often
formulated at a higher pH,
he says. That’s not to say
they can’t coexist. Look for
a product that formulates
them to work together, such
as Philosophy Time in a Bottle
($ 7 5, philosophy.com), which
has you mix the vitamin C into
the retinol-laced formula. Or
use vitamin C in the morning,
then go with an antioxidant
such as resveratrol at night.
Heat, light, and air can break
down antioxidants, but vita-
min C is particularly vulnerable,containers. And consider the
source. “Some online products
are stored in hot warehouses
that render them worthless,”
she says. Buy at a store or
directly from the brand’s
website. Also, be sure to look
for “L-ascorbic acid,” the most
potent form of vitamin C, on the
ingredients list, Dr. Farris says.Yo u ’ l l w a n t t o
eat them too
Just how important are dietary
antioxidants for skin? “Huge!
Some topicals can’t reach the
deep layers of the skin and
antioxidants in foods and sup-
plements may not make it to
the top layers,” Dr. Baumann
says. The research is promising:
People who ate two to three
additional portions of fruit or
veggies a day for six weeks had
changes in their skin tone that
were seen as more attractive to
others, according to a study in
the journal PLOS One. Another
study, in the American Journal
of Clinical Nutrition, found that
women with higher intakes of
vitamin C were less likely to have
wrinkles. Dr. Baumann’s bottom
line: “You want protection from
the inside and the outside.”