The antioxidant powerhouse your skincare routine’s been missing

Welcome to the season of the grape. Once prized for their flavour, grapes for the skin now take centre stage as they reach peak ripeness in autumn.

Filled with nutrients and fibre, grapes are well known for their health benefits which include lowering blood pressure, reducing cholesterol levels, supporting digestion, improving cognitive protection and much more. Lesser known, however, is that the nutrients in grapes are also great for the skin. In fact, ingredients derived from the fruit are used in everything from massage treatments to skin compresses to bath oils to cosmetics.

In the spirit of the fruit’s finest season, a time in which we all want to double down on ingredients that help us achieve a glowy, hydrated visage, here’s a look at exactly what makes grapes so beneficial for the skin.

The benefits of grapes for the skin

Thanks to their high content of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, grapes are considered an anti-ageing ally. The outer skins of red grapes, in particular, are high in the polyphenol resveratrol: the same polyphenol that gives red wine its potential heart health benefits.

When it comes to skin, resveratrol’s ability to protect against free radicals also comes into play, helping to reduce inflammation and improve skin elasticity. “Studies have shown protective effects of resveratrol against ultraviolet radiation mediated oxidative stress and cutaneous damage including skin cancer,” one scientific review notes. “Because many skin conditions stem from ultraviolet radiation and oxidative stress, this antioxidant appears to have promise and prospects against a wide range of cutaneous disorders including skin ageing. Skin is particularly well suited for the use of this promising agent because the antioxidant properties of resveratrol work well against the high oxidative stress that skin cells come under frequently.”

The antioxidant polyphenols in grapes are also accompanied by a host of other skin-boosting nutrients, especially vitamins C, A, K and B, all of which help combat cellular ageing by stimulating collagen production, stabilising elastin, encouraging cell regeneration and shielding the skin from free radical and UV damage.

Grapes also contain something called tartaric acid, a natural alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) which, when applied topically, provides an exfoliating and skin-brightening action. An interesting, semi-unrelated fact: tartaric acid is the reason grapes are toxic to dogs.

With all this in mind, it’s no wonder ingredients derived from grapes are central to so many skincare brands. Think Caudalie and Korres, which are known for making grape ingredients central to their products. Korres Santorini Grape line, for example, makes use of a trio of grape-derived ingredients including antioxidant-rich Santorini Grape extract, fatty acid-rich Santorini Grape seed oil and resveratrol. Caudalie’s entire product line, from the Vinopure to Resveratrol-Lift collections and more, centres around different skin-boosting facets of the fruit and its vine.

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