So, what we’re hearing is that our wine is even better for us than originally thought?
If you’re the type of someone who likes to top off the night with a glass of wine, then you might already be familiar with resveratrol, an antioxidant both loved in skincare and found in your nightly glass of red wine.
Studies have proven that as an antioxidant overall, resveratrol can generally improve overall health in addition to skin health, so what is resveratrol really? Let’s find out.
What is Resveratrol?
At the baseline, resveratrol is classified as an antioxidant found in grapes (and subsequently, wine), deep berries, and dark chocolate. What makes resveratrol so special is that it is a part of vital compounds called polyphenols, which are essentially your front line of protection against free radicals, sun damage, and pollution.
Although we are here to talk about skincare, it’s important to note that resveratrol acts as an antioxidant and serves to help the body function optimally whether applied topically or ingested. It’s part of the reason you might have heard the legend that a glass of red wine each night keeps you around longer.
What Does Resveratrol Do?
Okay, we’ve all heard the term “antioxidant” and know we should care about it in terms of skincare, but why?
Frankly, because resveratrol, as an antioxidant, does a lot of heavy lifting when it comes to keeping your skin as healthy as can be.
First and foremost, it can help protect the skin from UV based sun related damage by boosting your skin’s natural barrier. In turn, resveratrol slows down the aging process by inhibiting free radicals from wreaking havoc on your skin (see: damaging collagen and elasticity). As a result, the production of collagen is oftentimes encouraged and brings forth plump, younger looking skin with fewer fine lines and wrinkles.
Resveratrol is also naturally fermented, making it naturally acidic and a mild AHA. This lends to generally more even skin tone and texture as a side effect (a positive one, no doubt) of introducing resveratrol into your routine.
Resveratrol also helps to strengthen the skin’s natural barriers overall, resulting in more hydrated skin by way of an enforced moisture barrier. This improved skin health also lessens redness and the general look of irritation and inflammation on the skin over time.
Does it Have Any Side Effects?
Resveratrol is so widely loved because it can be so widely used – no negative side effects from resveratrol usage have been reported whether used topically or ingested. It also gets bonus points because it’s not reported to conflict with any other topical ingredients (even active ingredients!), rather, it’s actually reported to boost the effectiveness of vitamin C and is often found in some of the cult favorite vitamin C serums.
How Do I Use Resveratrol in My Routine?
As we mentioned, resveratrol is definitely found in some of your favorite sweet treats and night-topping bevs, but what is the most effective way to reap the skincare benefits? While consuming dark chocolate and acai bowls most definitely have their internal health benefits, including resveratrol in your diet will not necessarily have a great turnaround for your skin. To see the biggest glow up externally, you need to opt for topical products that contain resveratrol to bring into your skincare rotation. See some of our favorites below.
Rosé Resurfacing Facial Mask – The latest from Charlotte Cho’s jeong inspired skin care line, Then I Met You, this sparkling facial mask combines the power of resveratrol with lactic, gylcolic, and salicylic acids to renew and refresh skin.
Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine – This Soko Glam Best of Beauty Award Winner is one of the easiest ways to incorporate resveratrol into your routine. Use it as a toner or a second cleanse to slough off dead skins and clear pores of impurities like dirt and oil. The antioxidant properties of the resveratrol, coupled with the mildly exfoliating properties of the naturally fermented AHAs from grapes and lactic acid, serve as a great single use product that cleanses, exfoliates, and most importantly, protects the skin.
Banila Co Clean It Zero Cleansing Balm Revitalizing – Banila Co cleansing balms are an absolute cult classic, and this Revitalizing spin includes the star of our show, resveratrol. This cleansing balm also contains vitamin E, grape seed oil, and grape root extract, all of which lend to a hydrating and clarifying experience. This balm emulsifies under water and washes off leaving no residue behind and skin feeling soft, clean, and hydrated. With resveratrol built right into the formula of this amazing first-step cleanser, it’s impossible not to incorporate this ingredient.
Dr Althea Resveratrol Intensive Repair Cream – This repair cream’s ingredients go above and beyond at being for all skin types. With resveratrol for antioxidants, adenosine for further anti-aging, and centella asiatica for anti-inflammatory properties, this cream boasts reducing signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles as well as reducing acne and the look of acne scars. We all need a moisturizer, so why not grab one that’s working overtime?
Resveratrol + Ferulic Acid – This serum from The Ordinary has a cult following after a Redditor revealed it was also found in Drunk Elephant’s pricey vitamin C. Ever since, people have sought out this singular serum to use in their routine and the efficacy of all of their products, too.
