5 Antioxidants That Preserve Your Collagen From The Inside Out

If you want youthful, lifted skin, you need to preserve your collagen layer. Collagen is your skin’s structural protein and resides in the dermal layer of the skin. There, it helps form the intercellular matrix (ICM) with elastin to keep skin firm, bouncy, and supple. But like many things in the body, collagen declines with age and due to external aggressors. 

Starting at some point during your twenties, your collagen production will start to decline at a rate of about 1% per year. This can be exacerbated by things like UV exposure, harsh topicals, inflammatory diets, lack of sleep, and stress. This is why so many dermatologists encourage you to adopt a skin care routine to help you preserve that collagen layer: wear sunscreen, use a vitamin C serum, try retinol if your skin can tolerate it, and so on. 

However, there are other things you can do to help protect that precious collagen. And one very critical way is through your diet. What you consume has the power to fuel the collagen production process, protect the skin from free radicals, and provide overall support for your skin barrier. 

This vitamin isn’t just a skin care favorite because of its antioxidant properties; it also performs a vital role in the body: It’s a cofactor in the collagen production process1, as the skin’s fibroblasts rely on it to synthesize the protein.

Many studies have demonstrated that when the body is low on vitamin C, the fibroblasts can’t effectively make collagen2 and collagen-cross linking is also affected. It also helps stabilize the collagen molecule and preserves the existing collagen by neutralizing oxidative stress3. 

Because of this, research shows that ingesting vitamin C has solid research to prove it will support overall skin health1.

Along with vitamin C, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting your fill of vitamin E. Why? The oil-soluble antioxidant actually helps support vitamin C in the body. 

Vitamins C and E are famously synergistic. One study even found that vitamin E (and ferulic acid) increase vitamin C's effectiveness5 eightfold; on the other hand, vitamin C regenerates vitamin E after the latter scavenges free radicals, further reducing oxidative stress1 to cell membranes.

So while Vitamin C is necessary to actually make the collagen itself, it shouldn’t be the only antioxidant you rely on. Other antioxidants can provide a whole host of benefits, so it’s important to get a variety. 

One that should be on the top of your list? Astaxanthin. 

Polyphenols are a type of antioxidant that’s commonly found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. They have many full-body benefits9, including skin health. 

Even though it’s a lesser known fruit extract, the benefits of blood orange extract are starting to gain popularity. 

First off, blood orange extract contains a variety of powerful antioxidants11 such as flavonoids (anthocyanins and flavanones), non-flavonoid phenols (hydroxycinnamic acids), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid). So you’re getting different antioxidant benefits all in one extract. 

Because of its antioxidant power, it’s shown to reduce oxidative stress—which is what causes collagen breakdown in the first place. Research shows that taking 100 mg per day of blood orange extract is effective at combating oxidative stress12 and decreasing levels of the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-a in the body.

Because of this, it’s shown to improve elasticity. One study13 found that participants saw an increase in elasticity by 5.9% in 14 days and 13.9% in 56 days.