Vitamin boost: rejuvenate your skin

Whether it’s a delectable fruit-enhanced moisturiser or a relaxing herbal body treatment, our beauty palates are being sated with nutrient-rich goodies that help to heal and rejuvenate the skin. Nikki Goldstein reports.

Scan the label of almost any cosmetic cream today and you’ll find a list of vitamins, minerals, plant extracts, foods and herbs that bear closer resemblance to a supplement you’d swallow than a preparation you’d apply to your skin. Vitamins A, C, E and K, minerals such as zinc, copper and calcium, as well as a host of plant-based antioxidants such as rosemary, mint and geranium are now included in almost every product on the market, from lipsticks to the most advanced moisturisers. And it’s not just natural brands that have taken up the multivitamin mantle: both natural and high-tech ranges are aiming to harness the benefits of these nutrients and deliver them to the skin to promote optimal health and stave off the ageing process.

Superfoods for skin

“We all know a vitamin- and mineral-rich diet helps promote wellbeing and good health, but few of us understand just how important these nutrients are to the healthy functioning of the skin,” says Joseph C. DiNardo, one of the scientists credited with discovering the cosmetic properties of alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), now commonly used to increase cell turnover and promote smooth, soft skin. For optimal function and appearance, the skin needs a complex cocktail of nutrients. These include antioxidants to boost cells’ immune systems; essential fatty acids to reduce inflammation and maintain cellular integrity; calcium for density and nutrient absorption; magnesium for protein synthesis; amino acids (such as coenzyme Q10) to protect skin from oxidative stress; and nutritional isolates such as grape-seed extract, a potent antioxidant called oligomeric proanthocyanidin (OPC). These are believed to help protect collagen from free radicals, reduce inflammation and help maintain the integrity of blood vessels.

“One reason we’re ageing is that we’re oxidising – literally rusting – inside and out,” Joseph explains. “The antioxidants we get from food, and now cosmetics, support metabolic processes in the body and help prevent the onslaught of ageing and disease.” Joseph is one of a growing number of scientists and experts convinced that skin health and diet, as well as skin health and nutrient-powered skincare, are inextricably linked.

“We have the technology to contain and deliver nutrients such as antioxidants, enzymes, acids, proteins and hormones to the skin via creams and serums,” he says. “When you support the skin with a good diet and back it up with the right skincare products, you get a double whammy of protection.”

Taking it all in

The skin is the largest organ of the body, and research shows that though it protects us from environmental hazards, it’s also able to absorb substances – medicinal and harmful – into its deeper layers, and transfer molecules to the bloodstream and organs. What has been a moot point is whether vitamins and minerals, topically applied, can actually do much for the skin. “It’s true: nutrients such as vitamin C have been notoriously hard to deliver to the skin,” Joseph says. “C is highly unstable, and unless it has the right delivery system, it’s almost worthless as an anti-ageing ingredient.” He adds, however, that many companies have now discovered sophisticated ways to dispense vitamins and other healthful ingredients so they actually work on the skin. For example, when developing high-tech superceutical range, Priori, Joseph used what he describes as a very simple ‘water-oil-water’ formula that enabled the product range’s key ingredient, a powerful antioxidant called idebenone, to be suspended in oil for a sustained release to the skin.

In the cosmetic world, the race is on to discover the best and most potent nutrients to protect and preserve the skin. Companies including Estée Lauder fund research into specific ingredients to discover which offer the most powerful benefits. A study at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland USA (funded by Estée Lauder) found that ingredients in white tea are not only absorbed into the skin, but can actually help boost cells’ immune function, protecting them against the damaging effects of UV radiation. Dr Elma Baron, director of the Skin Study Center at Case Western Reserve University and University Hospitals of Cleveland says, “We found the application of white tea extract protects the skin from the kind of oxidative stress that causes a breakdown in cellular strength and function.” The study also showed that post-sun-exposure DNA damage was limited in skin cells that had absorbed white tea extract. “This study demonstrates the importance of researching how plant products can actually protect the skin,” says Dr Baron.

Anna Field, national training and promotions manager for La Prairie says, “Often it’s not just about a single ingredient, but the way several ingredients work together in a product that makes it effective.” La Prairie has developed a range of  ‘smart creams’ that utilise a sophisticated delivery system of ‘micro-dispersions’ and ‘micro-sponges’ (smaller than traditional emulsion droplets) to convey various ingredients to the skin in specific ways. Some target moisturisation, others offer protection against free radicals, and others intensify the benefits of all the ingredients – all in one product. La Prairie’s Cellular Moisturiser SPF15, $230, and Cellular Eye Moisturiser SPF15, $215, are formulated using this technology: both are capable of releasing targeted ingredients where the skin needs them most – usually, where most damage tends to occur.

All-natural skincare

Natural skincare brands are also delivering nutrients to the skin, but in less complex ways than the high-tech ranges with their ultra-scientific delivery systems. Hungarian brand Ilsci ultilises the most basic delivery system imaginable: pure, organic plants are applied directly to the skin.

“Since earliest times, humans have used plants, fruits, herbs and vegetables to heal and treat the body,” says Nina Curtis, an holistic therapist who trains beauty therapists for the brand. “The micro-nutrients are absorbed into the skin via the pores, and delivered to the deeper layers to heal and balance the skin and body.” Ilsci Pumpkin & Orange Cream Gel mask, $80, looks like a tropical smoothie and contains pumpkin and orange pulp as well as capsicum and citrus extracts. It’s a potent antioxidant cocktail designed to repair and nourish mature and sun-damaged skin.

Essential-oil-based skincare also delivers nutrients to the skin, in a very direct way. Clarins Firming Shower and Bath Concentrate, $38, works with water and steam, which act as carriers for the essential oils, helping them to enter the body via the nose and skin. The molecules in essential oils are small enough to penetrate the dermis when massaged into the skin during a shower or bath, and they also mix with steam to be inhaled and conveyed to the olfactory system in the brain – which affects moods and emotions. Essential oils are easily carried in creams, lotions, gels and oils, and can help balance and rejuvenate the skin. Rosemary, tea-tree, geranium, orange, rose, grapefruit and basil are found in many cosmetics: all are renowned for their antioxidant properties and anti-ageing and anti-inflammatory actions on the skin. 

“At the very least, the skin needs vitamins such as A, B, C, D and E to function optimally,” says Nina. “It needs antioxidants to fight free radicals from stress, pollution and sun damage, along with bioflavinoids to promote the structure and function of the circulatory system, and essential fatty acids to promote cellular health and communication.

“Nothing works in isolation,” she adds. “The skin is a barometer of your internal health and wellbeing. When it’s deprived of everything it needs, it looks tired, lacklustre and prematurely aged, and when it’s properly nourished it looks fresh, vital and healthy.”

With the knowledge that skincare products support your diet, and vice versa, ensuring you get a daily dose of essential nutrients is one of the best things you can do for your skin.

Beauty within

Serve up these healthy foods for a radiant complexion.

1. Hot water and lemon – to boost hydration
   Drunk in the morning, hot water and lemon aids digestion and helps eliminate toxins. Lemon stimulates the liver and gall bladder; water helps hydrate the gut and skin.
2. Leafy green vegetables – to provide ultra protection
   Vegies such as spinach, broccoli and celery contain high levels of antioxidants (vitamins that help slow ageing and environmental damage), as well as vitamin C, which helps keep skin elastic, vitamin A, which aids in wound-healing, and vitamin E, which helps cells utilise oxygen.
3. Beetroot – to reduce capillaries
   This lush, red vegetable helps cleanse the liver and gut, taking pressure off the skin to eliminate wastes. The best vegetable source of manganese, it’s also high in vitamin C, which helps strengthen the capillary walls in the skin.
4. Carrots – to beat acne and fight wrinkles
   High in vitamin A, carrots are a great acne remedy and gut cleanser; they also contain phosphorus, essential for healthy hair, skin, nails and nerves.
5. Apples – to promote clarity
   Apples are full of nutrients: pectin, which speeds the  elimination of toxins from the gut and cleanses the digestive tract; skin-boosting vitamin E; and folic acid.
6. Omega-3-rich fish – to reduce inflammation
   Essential fatty acids (omega 3s) found in oily fish, such as salmon, tuna and mackerel, play a vital role in skin health by helping prevent inflammation and promoting immune function. Eating three serves of oily fish a week helps maintain a clear complexion, reducing dryness and inflammation.
7. Olive oil – to defeat dryness
   Healthy fats such as olive oil help create smooth, supple, hydrated skin. Olive oil helps prevent inflammation and tissue degeneration, and blitzes dryness and roughness.
8. Organic brown rice – to stop the signs of ageing
   Very high in B vitamins and proteins, rice helps prevent premature skin ageing, and supports skin structure by aiding effective cellular metabolism and digestion.
9. Yoghurt – to clean and clear
   Helpful lactobacillus in yoghurt help restore natural flora, cleanse the gut, and improve the absorption of nutrients.

Words: Nikki Goldstein. Photography: Steven Chee. Hair & Make-up: Lucy Baldock. Styling: Nadene Duncan.