3 New Anti-Ageing Ingredients That Really Work

We have been conditioned into think that the best anti-ageing solutions can be found in a skin cream, serum, expensive facial or even with surgery. Whilst we are complete beauty junkies and love a good face mask, peel and the odd micro-needling gadget, we also know that truly beautiful skin is an inside job.

Good nutrition, restful sleep cycles and managing stress is essential not only for helping to keep skin bright and glowing, but for helping to prevent and discourage signs of ageing. The usual foods such as walnuts, avocado, oily fish, berries, dark green leafy veg, tomatoes, raw cacao, bone broth and almonds all apply here, as does 7-8 hours of sleep a night and staying hydrated. But we know that getting this right all the time isn’t easy, and hey, throw in the odd glass of wine, pollution, sun exposure, sleep deprivation owing to kids and some chronic low grade stress (thanks 2020)… and let’s face it, many of us could do with a little skin pep-me-up.
 
This month we wanted to outline three of the lesser-known yet amazingly supportive skin supplements that are science-backed and may make a noticeable difference to feel and appearance of your skin. Though we know nothing replaces a healthy diet, these can be taken as supplements on those days you don’t always manage to eat optimally and feel like your skin needs some extra love. They are also great if you’re hoping to boost your skin for any particular reason, to help improve your glow, protect skin for the future, or when life finally gets back to normal, before an event/wedding or part season. Whilst we know that a lot of these things happy things are currently on hold, we still want to safe guard our skin for better times to come, and for the long haul to keep it looking fresh and youthful.
 

Opti-MSM® 

A super pure and well-researched form of methyl-sulfonyl-methane, which is naturally-occurring sulphur rich compound. Sulphur is not a nutrient you often hear about for skin, and though it should be found within a typical health diet, and many of us don’t get enough in, or aren’t able to digest it very well.

 
MSM is an optimal supplementary form of sulphur, and is wonderful for skin health because the sulphur within it helps to create elastin and collagen, two very important structural components of the skin that help to make skin more supple, elastic and less prone to signs of ageing.
 
This might be why in a study in 2015, significant improvements in skin appearance and condition were found when 20 women took MSM for 4 months¹. The benefits of MSM aren’t just related to our skin either – it’s also great for hair and nail health, liver function, and may even help to reduce inflammation and pain in joints². We add OptiMSM® into our Glow Edition, which is designed to help improve brightness, radiance, enhance collagen production and reduce signs of ageing. 
 

Pine bark 

One of our favourites, pine bark is an incredibly nourishing antioxidant extracted from French maritime pine trees. Hundreds of trials have been conducted on this ingredient, which is surprising because it’s one that you don’t often hear much about. We want to give it this small but mighty antioxidant the attention it deserves!

 
Research has shown that pine bark can help to improve hydration and elasticity, as well as improving hyaluronic acid levels, and strengthening skin against UV protection³ which is extremely useful for helping to discourage sun damage. Other trials have shown that it may help with pigmentation prone skin, combatting brown marks and patchiness resulting from sun exposed skin.
 
Lastly, pine bark is great if you have sensitive, red or blotchy skin, because it is a natural anti-histamine and anti-inflammatory. Research has also shown it has positive effects on the cardiovascular system, brain and eye health, as a happy added bonus!
 
We add premium pine bark to our Beauty Formula and Glow Edition supplements.

Astaxanthin

 
When we think of anti-oxidants we often think of brightly coloured veggies and fruit, but the incredibly powerful carotenoid astaxanthin is predominantly found in salmon, lobster, krill, crayfish, brown crab meat and prawns. It’s naturally bright pink or red, which is what gives these foods are their dark pink hue. This is another incredible naturally occurring nutrient that should get more attention for skin but doesn’t. More research is needed, but what we do know is that it is potently anti-inflammatory and great for protecting fatty membranes in found deep within our skin, which helps to keep it hydrated, bouncy and dewy. Helping to keep skin hydrated is essential for preventing premature signs of ageing, and discouraging wrinkle formation. A study in 2018 a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial also found that it can help with UV induced skin deterioration⁵, or sun damage, possibly because of its powerful anti-oxidant activity. Further research has also shown it may help with the management of inflammatory conditions(6). Sign us up!
 
We love astaxanthin so much that we have developed our krill Beauty Oil Edition capsules (we’ve sourced the most sustainable, safe and marine loving krill available on the market) as a beauty support. Not only are these rich in omega 3, but also astaxanthin (hence the bright red colour) and choline, all of which are brilliant for helping you get skin bright and glowing.  

References

1. Anthonavage, M. et al. Effects of Oral Supplementation With Methylsulfonylmethane on Skin Health and Wrinkle Reduction. Natural Medicine Journal, 2015.
2. Usha & Naidu. Randomized, Double Blind, Parallel, Placebo Controlled Study of Oral Glucosamine, Methylsulfonylmethane and their Combination in Osteoarthritis. Clin Drug Invest, 2004, 24:6 353-363
3. Grether-Beck, S.; Marini, A.; Jaenicke, T.; Krutmann, J. French maritime pine bark extract (pycnogenol(r)) effects on human skin: Clinical andmolecular evidence. Skin Pharmacol Physiol 2016, 29, 13-17.10.1159/000441039
4. Chernyshova, M.P.; Pristenskiy, D.V.; Lozbiakova, M.V.; Chalyk, N.E.; Bandaletova, T.Y.; Petyaev, I.M. Systemic and skin-targeting beneficial effects of lycopene-enriched ice cream: A pilot study. J Dairy Sci 2019, 102, 14-25.10.3168/jds.2018-15282
5. Ito, N.; Seki, S.; Ueda, F. The protective role of astaxanthin for uv-induced skin deterioration in healthy people-a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Nutrients 2018, 10.10.3390/nu10070817
6. Natalya E Chalyk ¹, Viktor A Klochkov ¹, Tatiana Y Bandaletova ², Nigel H Kyle ³, Ivan M Petyaev Continuous astaxanthin intake reduces oxidative stress and reverses age-related morphological changes of residual skin surface components in middle-aged volunteers. Nutri Res, 2017, 48:40-48.