It’s a concept we call cellular beauty, and it means skin health can only be optimized when you start at the cellular level: From there, glowing skin will follow.* Ideally, for years and years to come. And what about combining these strategies? “Using both oral and topical antioxidants can optimize cells to absorb oxygen radical waste,” says board-certified dermatologist Zenovia Gabriel, M.D., FAAD. “You can help do that by taking oral antioxidants.”* You can consume these in antioxidant-rich colorful foods—like berries, salmon, dark greens, carrots, and nuts—or supplement them. A few of our favorite antioxidants: Allow me to explain: In this formula, we included several of the hero antioxidants mentioned above—formulated with the most bioavailable forms at levels with clinical results. To start, there’s astaxanthin (specifically, AstaReal®, a highly researched astaxanthin extract sustainably derived from green algae), an phytonutrient that’s clinically shown to protect skin cells5 and help preserve the collagen layer: It has photoprotective and anti-inflammatory properties, shown to help reduce fine lines and age spots, and supports skin hydration, elasticity and smoothness.* Then we layered in ubiquinol (as Kaneka ubiquinol®), which is the most bioavailable6, bioactive form of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10).* It’s the best-of-the-best as far as this antioxidant goes. As I’ve noted, CoQ10 is necessary for cellular energy production7—but endogenous levels of CoQ10 decline with age, and thus we see changes in cellular function and rejuvenation. Ubiquinol is clinically shown to increase CoQ10 levels8.* There’s also premium pomegranate whole fruit extract (as pomma+®), which is harvested in sunny California orchards. The extract is good for promoting cellular resilience and has anti-inflammatory properties for healthy aging, such as skin photoprotection9 from UV damage.* Finally, there’s the much beloved phytoceramides. Ceramics are naturally occurring lipids in your skin barrier that decline with age, and due to external factors such as UV damage. Phytoceramides have been clinically shown to reduce wrinkles, while significantly improving natural levels of skin hydration10.* You can consider this curated combination where vanity and longevity meet.* While it’s vital to support your skin microbiome11 for optimal skin health, it’s equally important to do so with your gut microbiome. There’s something called the gut-skin axis, and it plays an important role in our overall skin health12: It all boils down to the permeability of the lining of your gut. When your microflora isn’t balanced, it can cause what functional medicine doctors often call leaky gut, which allows particles to “leak” out and stimulate the immune system to produce an inflammatory response in the skin13 of predisposed individuals. Inflammation is often the result of free radicals. Free radicals “activate pro-inflammatory genes, which unleash a cascade of progressive inflammation,” explains Jessie Cheung, M.D., board-certified dermatologist. “[This causes] immune cells to recruit other immune cells to the damaged sites, creating more oxidative stress and cellular injury.” So, for example, consuming inflammation-causing foods sets off an internal response that results in a cell-damaging vicious cycle. While everyone’s triggers are going to vary, there are a few common culprits like alcohol14, foods with a high-glycemic index15, sugars, dairy16, and whatever allergens you may experience individually. Additionally, things like pollution trigger free-radical damage in the body, setting off this response in skin cells. And while we’ll get to internal factors affecting your cellular health in a bit, things like stress and lack-of-sleep can also induce an inflammatory response in the body. Now, we can’t avoid all inflammation-triggers all-together—but we do want to be mindful that we are not chronically overloading our body and cells with free radicals by limiting our exposure to things we know cause damage. Now, let’s say you’re not sleeping—this likely causes an uptick of stress. And on the flip side, stress often causes sleepless nights. Now, the stress hormone is called cortisol. “Cortisol plays a significant role in our collagen and elastin. So those supportive tissues in the skin really give us that supple youthful appearance,” she says. “Well, cortisol breaks those tissues down, so you’ll see accelerated fine lines and wrinkling. But the other thing is that it also impairs repair.” If sleep hygiene and mental wellness concerns are doing a number on your body and skin, look for stress-management techniques such as breathwork, exercise, and meditation. (Meditation has been shown to strengthen the skin barrier18—yes really.) And of course, visit a professional should you need to. We obviously know that water is essential for all human function. And its effects show up prominently in your skin19. One study found that drinking 9.5 cups of water a day for four weeks actually increased the skin’s density and thickness. “Think of aging skin cells as slightly deflated balls. Omega-3 fatty acids support the walls of these cells20, making them bouncy again.* To get plenty of omega-3s, eat fatty fish and walnuts,” says naturopathic physician Kellyann Petrucci, M.S., N.D.
