Which anti-aging food supplements should you choose to preserve the youthfulness of your skin?
Eloise Dubois-Gaché
10 min
Summary
Your skin is aging. It's a fact. There's no point in trying to freeze time: aging is a natural process.
On the other hand… nothing prevents you from slowing down its effects! 😉
Among the most interesting solutions: anti-aging food supplements .
By targeting the right active ingredients, you can help your skin maintain its radiance, suppleness and tone.
That's exactly the goal of this article: to help you understand what your skin really needs to preserve its youthfulness . Let's go!
Why take anti-aging food supplements?
Because with age, skin changes… and becomes more demanding. Mature skin often rhymes with loss of firmness and radiance. Supplements then legitimately find their place in an anti-aging routine.
Skin aging: a natural process, but influenced by several factors
From the age of 25 to 30, our body slowly begins to slow down. The production of collagen, elastin, and hyaluronic acid gradually decreases. As a result, the skin becomes thinner, less toned, the first fine lines appear... and we find ourselves googling “best anti-wrinkle cream” at 28 😅
But this aging isn't just a matter of years. Exposure to UV rays, pollution, and oxidative stress play a major role in the degradation of the skin's supporting fibers. These external factors accelerate skin sagging and dull the complexion.
And then there is our lifestyle in general: what we eat, what we drink (or not), our quality of sleep... All these factors play an essential role in the quality and youthfulness of our skin.
Why isn't the plate everything?
We'd love to tell you that all you need to do is eat a few goji berries to get baby-soft skin... but it's not that simple 😅 Even with a varied diet, our bodies don't always get the right dose of anti-aging nutrients they need on a daily basis.
Why? Because today's foods are sometimes less rich in micronutrients than before. Intensive farming methods, refining, and long transportation times reduce the micronutrient content of foods.
Result: even when eating a varied diet, we can lack zinc , vitamin C, omega-3 or polyphenols, which are essential for fighting skin aging .
Anti-aging food supplements then come to the rescue, providing powerful active ingredients that support the skin from within. Unlike surface-applied treatments, they act directly at the heart of the dermis, where collagen is produced and cell regeneration takes place.
What are the best anti-aging active ingredients in dietary supplements?
You've probably heard of collagen or hyaluronic acid, the two stars of anti-aging supplements that we see everywhere. But are they the only ones that can help your skin stay firm, smooth, and radiant? 🤔
Marine collagen: essential for preserving skin firmness
If we had to choose just one active ingredient in anti-aging food supplements , it would undoubtedly be this one: collagen. Naturally present in our skin, it represents around 75% of the dermis. In other words, it is what ensures the firmness , suppleness and elasticity of the skin.
The problem? We lose an average of 1% of collagen per year, which gradually results in the appearance of wrinkles, a sagging facial contour, and less dense skin.
To act effectively, we favor hydrolyzed forms which are better assimilated by the body . This is also the case of our marine collagen , enriched with vitamin C which helps boost its natural synthesis. The perfect recipe for regaining plumper skin.
Hyaluronic acid: hydrate and plump the skin from within
Another essential anti-aging supplement : hyaluronic acid. Naturally present in our bodies, it can retain up to 1,000 times its weight in water. Just that! 💧
His role? Maintain hydrated and elastic skin.
Because yes, a lack of hydration accentuates the visible signs of aging, particularly those fine lines that appear around the eyes or mouth.
A randomized, double-blind study published in 2021 confirmed that taking hyaluronic acid orally can significantly improve skin hydration, reduce water loss, increase elasticity, and even reduce the appearance of wrinkles after 12 weeks.
Antioxidants: protect the skin from premature aging
Less well-known, but just as essential, they shimmer shyly on the labels of our favorite anti-aging supplements: antioxidants!
As we saw at the beginning of this article, skin aging is also accelerated by free radicals, unstable molecules produced by stress, pollution, or UV rays. To counter them, antioxidants are our best shields.
In anti-aging food supplements , we often find:
Vitamin C , which stimulates collagen synthesis and protects cells against oxidative stress.
Vitamin E , which protects cell membranes against external aggression.
Polyphenols and resveratrol (grape extracts), powerful natural antioxidants that slow the effects of aging.
Zinc: the ally to slow down the signs of aging
- Zinc promotes healthy skin. It's beneficial for both blemish-prone skin and for maintaining an even complexion, helping to limit the appearance of spots and marks that can accentuate the skin's aging appearance.
But be careful: not all forms of zinc are equal. For optimal absorption, choose forms that are well absorbed by the body, such as zinc bisglycinate, known for its high bioavailability and digestive tolerance.
How to choose the right anti-aging food supplement?
For your anti-aging routine to be truly effective, you still need to choose your supplement carefully! Here are some tips to avoid making mistakes. 😉
A choice that evolves with age
The skin's needs are not the same at 25 or 55 years old. It is therefore important to adapt your supplement according to your age group and the visible signs on your skin:
-
From age 25: focus on prevention with antioxidants, marine collagen and omega-3 to nourish and protect.
After 40 years: we aim for an anti-wrinkle and firming action (because the skin begins to lose elasticity and volume more clearly) with a formula which combines collagen , hyaluronic acid and coenzyme Q10 .
After 50: Skin density tends to decrease, particularly due to the decline in estrogen. Phytoestrogens (soy, red clover) can then mimic the action of estrogen in the body and help prevent skin aging , especially when combined with collagen peptides .
Favor bioavailable forms
Capsules, gel caps, powder, ampoules... it's hard to know what's what when you don't know the differences!
Liquid or powder forms are often better absorbed because they don't need to be broken down in the stomach. This is the case with hydrolyzed collagen, usually available in powder form: once diluted, its peptides are directly available to the body.
This doesn't mean that capsules should be avoided—quite the contrary. They're ideal for certain sensitive active ingredients (like zinc or hyaluronic acid) because they protect the ingredients from light, air, or gastric acid, while ensuring precise dosing—without taste or odor.😉
Quality first
Not all anti-aging supplements are created equal. To avoid unpleasant surprises, always take the time to read the ingredient list.
Some formulas contain substances that are of little use or even counterproductive to your health or skin. Therefore, avoid:
Sweeteners and added sugars (sorbitol, sucralose, glucose syrup, etc.): these are mainly found in flavored powders, such as certain drinkable collagens.
Artificial colors (e.g. E102, E129): no benefit for the skin, just there to improve the appearance of the product.
Unnecessary fillers or coating agents (magnesium stearate or E752, silicon dioxide, etc.): they facilitate manufacturing, but do nothing for your body.
Preservatives such as BHA (E320) or BHT (E321), for example. These can be avoided in a well-designed and well-packaged formula.
Instead, choose supplements without artificial flavors, sugar-free, and made with natural ingredients. Simple, well-dosed, and transparent formulas are always a good sign.
The secret? Combine supplements and treatments for complete action.
For the effects of anti-aging food supplements to be long-lasting and visible, they must be part of a more comprehensive approach. Skincare, diet, simple actions... We'll finish by giving you all the keys to effectively combat skin aging (nice rhyme, right?).
Integrate a suitable external routine
Cosmetic treatments do not replace supplements, but they enhance their action, particularly on hydration and radiance. For example:
Hyaluronic acid internally and externally: we can't stop! 🚀
Use a hyaluronic acid serum to maintain surface hydration, while taking it as a supplement to work deeper.A vitamin C treatment boosts radiance and helps prevent and reduce pigmentation spots.
-
Collagen treatments can also support skin elasticity, although only orally taken peptides reach the deeper layers.
Adopt an anti-aging lifestyle
Oops, maybe we should have made this clear at the beginning of this article, but no cream or capsule will compensate for a lack of sleep or an unbalanced diet. To keep your skin supple and luminous , focus on the essentials:
Good hydration (1.5 to 2L of water per day).
Meals rich in antioxidants, good fats and vitamins.
Restorative sleep (at least 8 hours), essential for cellular regeneration.
Naturally stimulate firmness
A few simple actions can help tone facial muscles , boost circulation and improve the penetration of treatments:
-
Gua sha, roll-on and facial massage: help drain lymph and stimulate blood circulation, which helps decongest, smooth features and revive radiance... and even, in the long term, stimulate collagen production through the activation of fibroblasts.
Facial yoga helps tighten certain sagging areas (like the cheeks or around the mouth). No need to be a pro: a few YouTube tutorials are all you need to learn the right moves from home!
And for those who are more equipped: a microcurrent device, which gently stimulates the tissues.
These actions can easily be incorporated into a morning and/or evening routine, just after applying your serum for example. 😉
