6 Resveratrol Benefits for Skin

What ingredients you use in your skincare routine depends on your skin type and goals. But everyone needs antioxidants. They are the way to stay defended against free radical damage caused by sun exposure, pollution, smoking, and other daily stressors. This is where resveratrol, one of the most well-researched antioxidants, comes in handy and helps keep cells healthy so that your skin won't age prematurely. The best part? Resveratrol is not only a powerful antioxidant, but it holds numerous properties that make it a go-to for wrinkles, pimples, dark spots, and lack of hydration. Now that you're intrigued keep reading as this post is deep-diving into all resveratrol skin benefits and how this all-around crowd-pleaser works to bring the best version of your skin.

Resveratrol Benefits for Skin

In the quest for protected and infallible skin, do yourself a favor and keep resveratrol nearby. Resveratrol for skin is not only a potent antioxidant that hampers external foes, but its unique properties give extra boons hard to overlook.

Briefly, here are the resveratrol benefits for skin: 

• Combats environmental damage
• Diminished fine lines and wrinkles
• Boosts skin elasticity
• Reduces redness and inflammation
• Soothes dry and rough skin
• Minimizes hyperpigmentation

1. Combats environmental damage from free radicals

In nature, resveratrol protects plants from stress, UV light, and infections and does quite the same as far as skincare is concerned. As one of the best antioxidants, resveratrol combats the environmental damage from free radicals by directly scavenging these aggressors thanks to its high polyphenols content.  

Besides, when applied to the skin, resveratrol boosts the activity of some enzymatic antioxidants naturally found in the body, increasing the intracellular antioxidant capacity. One example is superoxide dismutase, the most powerful antioxidant enzyme in the body that breaks down free radicals into smaller molecules, facilitating their elimination. Resveratrol activates this enzyme, boosting the antioxidant skin's natural defense while also preventing the oxidative degradation of lipids.¹

Pro Tip: While resveratrol works like a charm on its own, it plays nicely with vitamin E, boosting each other ability to neutralize free radicals.

2. Diminishes fine lines & wrinkles

Those of you looking to tackle fine lines and wrinkles should have resveratrol on hand. Besides preventing early wrinkles by shielding the skin against external stressors, resveratrol has a role in fibroblasts' proliferation and collagen synthesis.²

According to Michele Green, MD, a board-certified dermatologist based in the Upper East Side of New York City, "Resveratrol forms complex molecules with certain metal ions, inactivating their ability to form free radicals, and therefore improving cellular function and supporting fibroblasts, along with the creation of healthy collagen. This combination one-two punch makes resveratrol highly effective in combating the damaging effect of free radicals that leads to skin aging."³

3. Boosts skin elasticity

With age and bad habits, skin becomes thinner, loses elasticity, begins to sag, and wrinkles become more visible. But once again, resveratrol proves to be a skin saver. Due to its capacity to preserve collagen breakdown by offsetting free radicals and the ability to enrich collagen production, resveratrol is great at supporting skin elasticity. Elastic skin equals boosted firmness, less visible wrinkles, and a more resilient protective barrier. 

More than supporting collagen formation, resveratrol enhances SIRT1 activity, a protein with a key role in protecting the adipose tissue (lipid-rich cells found in the skin) where a lot of collagen is.⁴

4. Reduces redness & inflammation

Whenever you face an inflammation or redness, reach for a product spiked with resveratrol.

Thanks to its anti-inflammatory and soothing properties, resveratrol calms rashes and redness, being a good bet for those who have easily-reactive skin, eczema, rosacea, or breakout-prone people. More than that, resveratrol is antibacterial, preventing the growth and spread of bacteria, which in turn alleviates acne.

5. Soothes dry & rough skin

When skin is dry is a sign of a broken barrier, and vice versa, a damaged barrier leads to dryness and dehydration. Regardless of your dry skin cause, you can appeal to resveratrol, as this nature-derived gentle element quenches thirsty skin when used regularly. On top of its collagen-inducing power that makes it ideal for soothing dry skin, resveratrol actually improves skin hydration and inhibits transepidermal water loss, preventing skin from becoming dry in the first place.⁵

6. Minimizes hyperpigmentation

When exposed to the sun, the body produces melanin as a defense mechanism — that's how dark spots appear. But resveratrol reduces the amount of melanin produced after sun exposure thanks to its antioxidant activity, preventing hyperpigmentation. Furthermore, resveratrol inhibits melanin synthesis by regulating tyrosinase activity, the enzyme responsible for making dark pigment.⁶ 

Hint: Pair resveratrol with glycolic acid for powerful depigmenting effects: while one stops melanin production, the other eliminates the already pigmented cells.⁷

Find the Best Resveratrol Product for You

At Exponent, results come first. So, while we're working to bring you the first self-activated skincare line, have a peep at these resveratrol-infused products. We have clinically tested them all, and it turns out they meet our Full Of Standard and deliver transformative benefits.

Words By: Ana Vasilescu