What food supplement for the skin after 50?
Sagging Skin: What is the Best Rejuvenating Vitamin for Beautiful Skin?
Keeping the supple, smooth and velvety skin of your twenties for as long as possible is the holy grail of all women. While it is unfortunately impossible to stop the effects of time passing, we can slow them down by providing our skin with the most effective micronutrients.
Also called molecules of youth, antioxidants are universally recognized for their anti-aging action. As their name suggests, they prevent oxidationcells of our body and therefore of our skin. Oxidation is a redox reaction during which occurs an electron transfer, at the origin of the production of very unstable and reactive molecules called free radicals. The latter are responsible for the oxidative stress which affects the structure of the skin and causes its premature aging.
“Among the best known and most effective antioxidants, we find a trio of vitamins: A, C and E which act in symbiosis” indicates Aurélia Richard.
Vitamin C – or ascorbic acid – is a water-soluble vitamin, which protects against free radicals in aqueous environments and which participates in the production of collagena skin support element. It is the ultimate “beautiful skin” vitamin. Vitamins E and A are fat-soluble vitamins, which are therefore linked to fat and are found in foods high in fat.
“Vitamin B3 in the form of niacinamide is also very effective on the quality of the skin. It improves its texture and radiance and activates cellular repair” adds the micronutritionist.
Hydration: Which food supplement to hydrate dry skin?
Over the years, the skin becomes increasingly dry due to the alteration of its barrier function and the decrease in sebum production. Result: 75% of people over 65 suffer from intense skin dryness with significant thinning of the epidermis.
To combat this phenomenon, food supplements can judiciously complement the application of an emollient cream and local care.
“Hyaluronic acid is a natural molecule that retains water and helps maintain skin hydration and volume. Hyaluronic acid levels decrease with age, so the skin becomes drier, which promotes the appearance of wrinkles. Hyaluronic acid-based food supplements help improve skin hydration and plump the skin,” explains Rebecca Chocron, a dietician and nutritionist in Marseille.
Hyaluronic acid is available in capsule, powder or liquid form.
Skin hydration can also be achieved through lipids, and in particular certain vegetable oils rich in Omega-3 and known for their action on mature skin. “Evening primrose, borage and safflower oils – rich in essential fatty acids – contribute greatly to strengthening the skin barrier in people with dry skin and help to maintain skin elasticity and suppleness” adds Aurélia Richard.
Zinc, selenium, silicon: the best minerals to limit skin aging
Among the anti-aging micronutrients, three minerals steal the show: zinc, selenium and silicon.
“Zinc is a mineral that, in addition to being an antioxidant, contributes to regulate sebum productiona natural oil produced by the sebaceous glands. For mature skin, which tends to become drier, optimal regulation of sebum helps maintain skin hydration and reduce the appearance of wrinkles” describes the micronutritionist. Zinc is also a cofactor for enzymes involved in collagen synthesis, essential for maintaining skin firmness and elasticity.
Selenium, for its part, is also a powerful antioxidant which helps protect the skin against damage caused by free radicals and also plays a protective role against damage caused by the sun's UV rays. It helps to reduce the effects of photoagingwhich is one of the main factors in premature skin aging.
Finally, silicon is crucial for the synthesis of collagen and elastin, the two proteins that provide firmness, elasticity and structure to the skin.
What is the best anti-aging supplement for aging skin?
There are many dietary supplements for the beauty of mature women's skin in pharmacies. There is not one single one that is universally recognized as “the best” against skin aging.
The molecules and active ingredients mentioned above often act in a complementary or even synergistic way. The best food supplements are those that combine a large number of active ingredients to act on all fronts. Rebecca Chocron
The choice of food supplement will also be made on the advice of a dermatologist or pharmacistaccording to skin type and its problems.
Each laboratory generally has its flagship ingredient, like Caudalie® which highlights resveratrol, a polyphenol contained in grapes.
Beauty: What to eat to have beautiful skin after 50?
Even before resorting to nutritional supplements, a balanced and varied diet is the first weapon to nourish the skin from the inside, preserve its youth and beauty and avoid deficiencies.
Virtually all active ingredients sold as supplements are found naturally in food, generally with better bioavailability.
To cover all of your needs, we recommend focusing on anti-aging foods, namely:
– Fresh fruits and vegetables : rich in vitamin C and antioxidants, they should be included in your daily menu. The richest in polyphenols are also the most colorful : carrots, tomatoes, spinach, pumpkin, red berries…
– Animal and vegetable proteinswhich contribute to the good synthesis of collagen, and therefore to the firmness of the skin,
– Oily fish, seeds and nuts and vegetable oilsrich in essential fatty acids,
– Water : drinking plenty of water – but also herbal teas, green or black tea (rich in polyphenols), and vegetable juices rich in antioxidants – is essential for hydrated skin and a clear complexion. Seniors are recommended to drink at least 1.5 liters of water per day..
– Spices : turmeric, ginger, cloves, basil, cumin… are valuable sources of polyphenols,
– Fermented foods, rich in probioticswhich promote good gut health, essential for glowing skin.