In some cases, foods alone can’t provide enough of specific nutrients, unless you plan on eating more than your weight in produce. So on top of eating skin healthy foods, consider taking some of these supplements to help keep your skin looking young and supple. Most of these are taken like regular vitamins, but some can work even better topically, de-aging your skin from the outside in.

There have been some very promising studies done on the topical application of antioxidants, suggesting a more dramatic impact than you’d see by taking dietary supplements. When you put antioxidants directly on your skin, they go straight to the problem and deactivate the free radicals that add to the appearance of aging—no long journey through the digestive tract first, where the antioxidants may be hijacked by other body systems that need them. Let’s work from the inside out, here, and tackle the dietary supplements first. If you aren’t getting a lot of omega-3 fatty acids from food—and don’t like fish or flaxseed—go for fish oil supplements. In fact, even if you do eat fish or flaxseed, you can still take a 1,000 mg capsule every day to ensure your skin gets the biggest benefit.

Next, add some coenzyme Q10 (usually called coQ10). CoQ10 is a powerful antioxidant naturally produced by your body, but supplies dwindle as the years go by. Taking 60 mg of CoQ10 every day boosts your levels, helping to protect against cell damage and tighten up your skin. Now it’s time to bring an essential amino acid into the mix: L-glutamine. This is another of those nutrients your body can produce itself, but production slacks off over time. Since one of L-glutamine’s main jobs is keeping up collagen levels—critical for beautiful skin—a deficiency can make your skin look older. To rebuild collagen, take 500 mg of L-glutamine twice a day, away from food (meaning at least one hour before eating, or two hours after). Now, let’s head out to the surface, where some supplements work even better.

Like Vitamin C: Several studies have uncovered new benefits of topical Vitamin C (usually in the form of ascorbic acid). Turns out that this powerful antioxidant, when applied to your skin, can:

• ■ effectively minimize the appearance of facial wrinkles
• ■ promote collagen production
• ■ lighten up dark spots
• ■ reduce inflammation (like from pimples)
• ■ provide photoprotection from both UVA and UVB rays

Not all preparations are created equal, though. Vitamin C is air soluble, meaning it starts breaking down when exposed to air. On top of that, some formulations don’t penetrate your skin enough to make a real difference. Ask your dermatologist about combination creams—such as Vitamin C plus retinol, proven to work together to reverse the signs of aging.

Other good topical nutrients include Vitamin E, long-used on burns and cuts to prevent scarring. Now we know that it can also reduce fine lines on your face as well. This antioxidant appears to work best when the preparation is based on the alpha-tocopherol form of Vitamin E, so look for that on the label. For sagging skin, try applying a DMAE preparation—it won’t erase wrinkles, but it may firm up your cheeks and jowls. Be prepared for some sticker shock, though: Compared with the other creams mentioned here, those containing DMAE may seem pretty pricey.

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Dr. Spreen has been teaching people how to be thin and disease-free for over a decade.  He is also on the Health Science Institute advisory panel.  You can read more at www.hsibaltimore.com.

This particular article is an excerpt from his Agora Health Book Doctor's Secrets to Living Younger Everyday.  You can learn more abou it here.

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