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Using resveratrol skin care products is among the latest trends in anti-aging skincare. If you’re familiar with resveratrol, you’ve probably already justified your excessive consumption of red wine. Not to burst your bubble, but red wine may not be the healthiest way to get your daily dose of antioxidants and slow down the aging process. Resveratrol skincare products, however, do have amazing benefits for your skin.
The interest in resveratrol started when scientists discovered that the French have significantly lower cases of cardiovascular diseases compared to other countries (1).
The idea that there might be a connection with that and the fact that they indulge in red wine a little more than the rest of the world led to the discovery of resveratrol.
However, the discussion changes when things are used topically rather than ingested. Using resveratrol in your skincare products is different.
For starters, it’ll certainly have no effect on your heart’s health. So we’re going to deep-dive into resveratrol in the context of skincare and skincare products.
What is Resveratrol in Skincare?
Resveratrol is a plant-derived antioxidant used in skincare to treat and prevent UV-induced skin damage (2). It’s abundantly found in red grapes and berries.
It belongs to the large family of polyphenols and is also called a polyphenolic antioxidant. Resveratrol is one of the best natural antioxidants you can use for its anti-aging benefits.
What Are The Benefits of Using Products with Resveratrol?
1. It protects the skin against oxidative stress.
Things that age you are lumped into two categories; internal and external. And two of the most common external agers are sun exposure and cigarette smoking.
These two trigger your skin’s inflammatory response. And this causes the release of certain molecules called free radicals. In the simplest terms, free radicals can give you wrinkles and dark spots and damage your healthy collagen.
Just like all other antioxidants, resveratrol neutralizes free radicals and protects your skin against premature aging (2).
2. It brightens the skin.
Similar to vitamin C and hydroquinone, resveratrol is also a tyrosine inhibitor (3). Tyrosine is an enzyme that triggers melanin production, which is what gives you dark spots.
By reducing melanin production, resveratrol prevents and treats hyperpigmentation. In doing so, resveratrol gives you an even skin tone with a brighter complexion.
3. It’s anti-inflammatory.
Inflammation is the root cause of several skin concerns ranging from acne to signs of aging. Resveratrol interferes with the inflammatory response of your skin (4).
In doing so, it calms the skin and stops several of those issues in their tracks. These include redness on the skin and dark patches.
4. It’s non-irritating.
What’s appealing about resveratrol is its non-irritating nature. People who are dealing with dark spots and melasma usually go for vitamin C.
But vitamin C can be too irritating for sensitive skin types. In that sense, resveratrol is an effective and gentler alternative to mainstream anti-pigmentation ingredients.
The Best Resveratrol Skincare Products
With this many benefits for the skin, it’s no surprise that resveratrol is widely formulated into anti-aging products. From serums and creams to toners and oils, below are the best resveratrol skincare products.
1. SkinCeuticals Resveratrol B E
These guys know their way around antioxidants and they’re pretty much the masters of pairing antioxidants. Not surprisingly, SkinCeuticals offers the best resveratrol serum on the market. The night serum protects the skin against the damaging effects of oxidative stress. But it also reverses existing skin damage.
Besides 1% resveratrol, the formula also contains vitamin B3 (niacinamide) to enhance the brightening effects. Plus, it contains vitamin E to amp up the antioxidant action, improve the skin texture, and soften wrinkles. As a result, the serum fades dark spots, evens out the skin tone, and promotes a healthier-looking complexion.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, vitamin E, caffeine
Suitable For: Normal, dry, combination
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free
2. PCA Skin Resveratrol Restorative Complex
This anti-aging serum also contains 1% resveratrol as well as niacinamide. In addition, it’s packed with anti-inflammatory botanicals to repair and calm the skin at night.
The antioxidants are time-released, meaning that your skin absorbs them gradually for enhanced and longer-lasting benefits. The formula is the perfect addition to your evening skincare routine to wake up to rested, refreshed and more youthful skin.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, niacinamide
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
3. Caudalie Resveratrol Lift Firming Cashmere Cream
Caudalie has a variety of resveratrol-infused skincare products. Among them is this daily moisturizer you can use as an anti-aging cream. The resveratrol cream is clean, vegan, and super light on the skin. It has a heavenly smell and a very moisturizing base made with hyaluronic acid, shea butter, and grape seed oil.
The French anti-aging moisturizer plumps up the skin instantly and leaves it soft and velvety. Caudalie also has a resveratrol night cream, which has a thicker texture better suited for dry skin. If the cream isn’t your cup of tea, then try their Resveratrol Lift Instant Firming Serum. It’s super light, oil-free, freshens up dull skin, and smoothes fine lines instantly! And if you have sensitive skin like me, it’s the gentlest resveratrol serum there is.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, hyaluronic acid
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1.6 oz/50 ml
Good To Know: Vegan
4. Neogen Dermalogy Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine
This one combines two of the best anti-aging ingredients; antioxidants and exfoliants. These are exfoliating peel pads presoaked in alpha-hydroxy acids as well as wine-derived resveratrol. Glycolic and lactic acids exfoliate the skin and remove dead skin cells to refine the skin texture.
Meanwhile, resveratrol and antioxidant-rich berry extract polish the skin. The pads stimulate skin turnover and give you a brighter and smoother complexion. They make exfoliation gentle and nourishing rather than drying and irritating.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, glycolic acid, lactic acid
Suitable For: Normal, combination, oily
Size: 30 pads
5. The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%
This is probably one of the most affordable resveratrol products you can find. This might explain why it keeps selling out. The texture of the formula almost feels like a face oil but absorbs pretty quickly.
The serum has 3% resveratrol paired with 3% ferulic acid, which is another polyphenolic antioxidant. The duo is perfect for targeting all signs of aging as well as reviving lackluster and tired-looking skin.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, ferulic acid
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Oil-free, fragrance-free, cruelty-free, vegan
6. Derma-E Ultra Lift DMAE Concentrated Serum
This is another affordable resveratrol serum packed with other anti-agers. Besides resveratrol, the serum contains copper peptides to stimulate collagen synthesis. And it has Kakadu plum extract, which is super rich in vitamin C, and Centella Asiatica, which is a potent antioxidant in itself.
The resveratrol serum infuses the skin with antioxidants to reduce wrinkles and hyperpigmentation. After all, combining different antioxidants is more beneficial for the skin than using a single-ingredient formula.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, Kakadu plum
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
Good To Know: Cruelty-free, vegan
7. Paula’s Choice Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner
This one is for you if you prefer incorporating resveratrol into your routine via a face toner. The daily anti-aging toner utilizes niacinamide and resveratrol to improve skin tone and texture. Additional botanicals make the toner as potent as a face serum to target all signs of aging with a very light formula.
Anti-inflammatory willow bark extract, hydrating hyaluronic acid, and a combination of signal peptides balance the skin post-cleanse and provide a nourishing layer of skin-loving goodies.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, niacinamide, hyaluronic acid
Suitable For: Normal, combination, oily
Size: 4 oz/118 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free
8. Beauty Pie Superactive Capsules Pure 3% Resveratrol + Exotic Fruit Oils
Skincare capsules are single-dose face serums to enjoy your active ingredients in their most potent form. These are skin capsules made with 3% resveratrol for its amazing anti-aging benefits.
Additionally, the capsules pack antioxidant-rich raspberry and pomegranate seed oils. With every capsule, you get a fresh dose of this skin-repairing blend to help your skin restore and renew.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 60 capsules
9. iS Clinical Hydra-Intensive Cooling Masque
This one is an incredibly nourishing face mask. And luckily, it can double as a leave-on treatment. The mask is brimming with antioxidants to calm the skin, repair free radical damage, and just give your skin a boost. It’s basically a polyphenolic antioxidant fest!
Besides resveratrol, it has green tea, rosemary leaf extract, and Centella Asiatica. The cooling face mask is incredibly invigorating and refreshing for the skin. The gel texture replenishes the skin with hyaluronic acid, aloe juice, and glycerin.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, Centella Asiatica
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 4 oz
10. Paula’s Choice Anti-Aging Eye Cream
The eye area can also benefit from the age-reversing effects of resveratrol. After all, sun damage manifests itself as crow’s feet and hyperpigmentation around the eyes. This resveratrol eye cream also packs vitamin C to increase the antioxidant effects.
The hydrating blend of hyaluronic acid, sodium PCA, and moisture-boosting shea butter plumps up the skin around the eyes. As a result, the cream reduces the look of wrinkles and fine lines. Additional antioxidants like licorice extract and vitamin E nourish the eye area and give you an energized and lifted look.
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, vitamin C, licorice extract
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 0.5 oz/15 ml
Good To Know: Fragrance-free, cruelty-free
11. Darphin Intral Inner Youth Rescue Serum
This 84% natural serum packs everything your skin needs to calm, repair, and glow. It’s meant to reduce inflammation on sensitive skin to strengthen the skin barrier, make the skin more resilient, and prevent free radical damage. But soothing is the least it can do.
Besides resveratrol, it has other antioxidants like green tea, peony extract, and caffeine. It’s as light as water and plumps up your skin instantly all thanks to hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and sodium PCA. And it leaves the skin feeling firmer and looking radiant. Use it for anti-aging or for reducing redness. Either way, your skin is going to drink it up!
Key Ingredients: Resveratrol, green tea, vitamin B5
Suitable For: All skin types
Size: 1 oz/30 ml
So this is how resveratrol works in skincare and the best resveratrol products to get started on. If you prefer plant-derived antioxidants, resveratrol is the perfect addition to your skincare routine.
FAQs
References:
- Catalgol, B., Batirel, S., Taga, Y., & Ozer, N. K. (2012). Resveratrol: French paradox revisited. Frontiers in pharmacology, 3, 141. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2012.00141
- Boo Y. C. (2019). Human Skin Lightening Efficacy of Resveratrol and Its Analogs: From in Vitro Studies to Cosmetic Applications. Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 8(9), 332. https://doi.org/10.3390/antiox8090332
- Na, J. I., Shin, J. W., Choi, H. R., Kwon, S. H., & Park, K. C. (2019). Resveratrol as a Multifunctional Topical Hypopigmenting Agent. International journal of molecular sciences, 20(4), 956. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms20040956
- Wen, S., Zhang, J., Yang, B., Elias, P. M., & Man, M. Q. (2020). Role of Resveratrol in Regulating Cutaneous Functions. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM, 2020, 2416837. https://doi.org/10.1155/2020/2416837
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