You won’t need to wait long to see the difference these potent anti-agers make to your skin – expect to see an improvement in radiance and luminosity in as little as seven days.
Here are some of my favourite vitamins to look out for and the rewards you can reap from them.
Vitamin A: The anti-ager
Why we need it: In beauty circles, vitamin A (retinol) is known as the gold standard in anti-ageing. It works to stimulate cell renewal and refine fine lines and wrinkles, as well as improve the elasticity and overall skin health.
Find it in:
1 Murad Retinol Youth Renewal Serum, $189. This newbie delivers its retinol in a lipid shell that releases the wrinkle-busting ingredient into the skin over time, for less irritation.
2 Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Serum, $39.99, combines its retinol with hyaluronic acid to give skin a moisture boost at the same time.
Need to know: Retinol can make your skin sun sensitive, so use at night only, and protect your skin during the day with sunscreen. It’s not uncommon for it to cause irritation in high doses so if you’re concerned, introduce it slowly (every other night) to build up your skin’s tolerance.
Vitamin B: The beautifier
Why we need it: Vitamin B and its derivatives such as vitamin B3 (niacinamide) and pro vitamin B5 (panthenol), help to boost collagen, improve pigmentation, hydrate skin, boost immunity to UV and generally promote healthy skin. It’s also known to reduce redness in those who suffer from rosacea and acne.
Find it in:
1 Aspect Extreme B17, $129.95, infuses skin with all of the group B vitamins, including niacinamide.
2 Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream, $48.99, features niacinamide as one of its three active ingredients that help to fight skin fatigue in ageing skin cells.
Need to know: Vitamin B is well-tolerated by all skin types and can be used alongside your other vitamin serums morning and/or night.
Vitamin C: The brightener
Why we need it: As well as being a powerful antioxidant to neutralise free radicals, we need vitamin C to help produce collagen in our skin. And there’s nothing like this glow-getter to restore radiance, luminosity and a more even skin tone.
Find it in:
1 Clinique Fresh Pressed Daily Booster with Pure Vitamin C 10, $130. Vitamin C can degrade once exposed to air, which is why this system is so clever. It allows you to mix two drops of the 10 per cent Vitamin C booster into your regular moisturiser for maximum freshness.
2 The Body Shop Vitamin C Glow-Revealing Liquid Peel, $50. Massage this in upwards motions onto dry skin. As the camu camu berry formula dries, it peels, lifting away impurities which can then be rinsed away to leave skin bright and smooth.
Need to know: Because the antioxidant properties will help protect your skin during the day, vitamin C serums are ideal to massage over clean skin in the morning, before your moisturiser and sunscreen.
DNA enzymes: The regenerators
Why we need them: There’s a lot of research around DNA repair enzymes, with some scientists claiming they are superior to antioxidants at recognising and correcting damage to our skin DNA caused by UV exposure, free radicals and other cancer-causing pollutants like cigarette smoke.
Find it in:
1 Asap DNA Renewal Treatment, $159. Telomeres are vital to healthy DNA strands and this serum works to prevent damage to them along with a multi-peptide complex and stem cell technology to get our skin cells acting younger.
2 Nivea Cellular Anti-Age Skin Rejuvenation Eye Cream, $27.99. An amino acid derivative called creatine works to slow down our skin’s natural cell ageing process and improves DNA protection.
Need to know: The word is that this type of technology is the way of the future, so expect to see a lot more of it coming
