The Benefits of Resveratrol for Skin and How to Use It, According to Dermatologists

If you're someone who likes to wind down with a glass of red wine, you might be familiar with one notable ingredient found in the skin of grapes: resveratrol. Studies have credited this potent antioxidant for having many health benefits as well as positive effects on the skin. But can that glass of Pinot Noir serve as a lovely addition to your skincare just as it does for your Friday night plans? Or is there a more effective (albeit less enticing) way to reap the skin benefits of resveratrol? Ahead, board-certified dermatologists Ava Shamban, MD, and Michele Green, MD, answer that burning question, as well as dozens of others you might have about the antioxidant, including how to use it.

What Is Resveratrol?

Resveratrol is a naturally occurring antioxidant that can be found in the skin of grapes, peanuts, berries, and even dark chocolate. It comes in a powder, pill, or liquid form and can be found in a variety of skincare products, such as serums, creams, moisturizers, and supplements. Resveratrol is part of a group of compounds called polyphenols, which can provide antioxidant protection to the skin.

As explained by Shamban, "These polyphenols act as key antioxidants, which serve on the front line as the 'generals' gathering the troops to protect the cells against damage that leads to cellular aging." Shamban says that, in general, most over-the-counter forms of resveratrol are fully stable, but she still recommends using products that are packaged in airtight containers (like a pump) and storing the products in a cool, dark place.

Benefits of Resveratrol for Skin

When the ingredient is applied topically, the main functionality of resveratrol helps to protect the skin's surface. With that said, it does have a few other benefits:

• Protects the skin: Resveratrol can interrupt negative environmental influences as well as protect the skin from UV damage. "Our skin is the largest organ in the body, and it functions as your body’s first line of defense against harmful microorganisms," says Green. "Using an antioxidant such as resveratrol helps boost your skin’s natural barriers so that your skin looks and feels smoother and healthier."
• Slows aging: Green says resveratrol works on a cellular level to fight the process of aging by stimulating healthy cell proliferation. As Shamban explains, "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."
• Reduces redness: Shamban says resveratrol contains key skin-calming properties that help minimize the look of redness and inflammation.
• Evens skin: Green says resveratrol brightens and evens skin tone and overall texture.
• Hydrates the skin: Green also adds that resveratrol can hydrate your skin and prevent it from becoming dry.

Potential Side Effects

"As far as we know specifically for skin, no studies have discovered negative side effects, even if or when it is taken in larger doses by transdermal delivery or ingested," Shamban says. However, she adds that when taken as a supplement, it might interact with blood thinners and NSAID medications, like aspirin and ibuprofen. In these cases, Shamban always recommends seeing your primary physician, dermatologist, or internist before starting a new supplement or skin routine.

How to Use It

Shamban recommends applying resveratrol as part of your nighttime skin routine. "Quality sleep, in general, is critical for healthy-looking skin," Shamban explains. And with antioxidants, particularly resveratrol, we can capitalize on the heightened nighttime repair function to maximize or boost antioxidant production within the skin cells, and even more so, we're also able to trigger fibroblast cells to, in fact, make more collagen."

The step of your routine during which you should apply the resveratrol depends on the type of product you’re using. Green says for serums, apply it after you cleanse, or if you use a toner in your skincare routine, then you’d apply it after that step. If you’re using resveratrol in a moisturizer, then you’d apply it right after cleansing and toning twice daily, mornings and evenings. 

As for which products to us, Green recommends The Ordinary's Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3% ($10). "The main benefit of these two potent ingredients is that they can neutralize free radicals, which prevents the synthesis of collagen and elastin from being repressed," she says.

SkinCeuticals' Resveratrol B E ($168) is Shamban's top product pick. This nighttime serum is rich in antioxidants. Ingredients such as baicalin and vitamin E promise to increase the anti-aging benefits of the 1 percent pure resveratrol—and it does all the work while you sleep.

What Is the Best Form of Resveratrol?

To reap the most cholesterol and heart benefits, Shamban suggests turning to powders, pills, or liquids—or better yet, the actual foods—that contain resveratrol. "Internally and in terms of health benefits, resveratrol is also shown in testing to be anti-cancer and both a cardioprotective and neuroprotective ingredient," she explains.

For skin benefits, on the other hand, resveratrol is more effective when applied topically. "The truth is, ingesting powder, pill, or liquid—you'd need to drink hundreds of cases of cabernet a day to get through the digestive system to get enough of the resveratrol needed to reap skin benefits to have any effect on the visible signs of photoaging or other epigenetic aging factors, including environment and stress," Shamban explains. So, while wine can be beneficial, instead of drinking your way to better skin, Shamban suggests incorporating the ingredient topically through skincare to boost skin's health effectively.