The skin is the body’s largest organ and undergoes many changes during aging. The skin ages from the outside (photoaging) and inside (internal aging), contributing to skin changes such as wrinkles, dullness, fine lines, and impaired healing. Photoaging occurs due to external factors, such as sunlight, pollution, and harmful toxins that promote skin and cellular damage from the outside. Internal aging occurs due to internal factors, including foods (and nutrients) consumed (or not consumed), stress from normal metabolic processes, and decreased energy stores. The bottom line? The skin suffers, losing strength, elasticity, moisture, and glow. A comprehensive approach to skin health would support it from external and internal factors that affect aging.  

Supporting Internal Aging Skin with Diet and Nutrition 

Food is foundational for health and is essential for delivering the nutrients needed to support cellular growth, repair, and maintenance. On the other hand, food can contribute to potentially harmful substances called advanced glycation end products (AGEs) that contribute toward the rapid aging of the skin. The foods with the most AGEs are fried, grilled, or barbecued compared to foods with the lowest amounts: nuts, seeds, fruits, vegetables, and foods prepared by gentler, moist cooking methods, such as steaming or boiling. It is estimated that the average person consumes a diet with approximately 15,000 kilo-units (kU) of AGEs. Collagen in the skin is particularly susceptible to the effects of AGE accumulation, which contributes to glycation, rigidity, impaired wound healing, and loss of normal function. These molecular changes result in the common characteristics we attribute to aging skin: wrinkles, sagging, dull, and dehydrated skin.  

Just as we may see damage from certain foods, we may also see a way to support healthy skin during aging. On the most basic level, most cells need energy, vitamins, minerals, and water to survive and function properly. The following list details some of the most essential nutrients to support skin during all periods of aging.  

• Water – Essential for human life, but also crucial for supporting skin barrier function. Adequate water intake promotes skin hydration, which is vital for healthy skin. In one study, superficial and deep hydration was significantly improved with the addition of two liters of water for thirty days in a group of women (n = 38) who, at baseline, consumed less than three liters of water per day.  
• Protein – Protein is crucial for health as it supports muscle growth, cellular repair, wound healing, and proper amino acid intake. Severe inadequate protein intake, known as kwashiorkor, is characterized by patches of dry, flaky skin, like that of atopic dermatitis. Collagen is another important element found in protein-containing foods, and a vital structural component of the skin, with numerous studies investigating its utility in skin health.  
• Zinc – Zinc is crucial for the normal growth of keratinocytes, a specific type of skin cell.  
• Vitamin A – Retinoic acid and retinal are the main biologically active compounds of vitamin A. Vitamin A has been reported to support melanocyte growth and differentiation, which is vital, especially for damage caused by the sun. 
• Vitamin E – Vitamin E supports skin health by reducing inflammation caused by oxidized fats.  
• Vitamin C – Vitamin C is used as a precursor to collagen formation and acts as an antioxidant.  

Supporting External Aging Skin with Topical Ingredients  

Photoaging occurs when direct exposure to ultraviolet radiation causes damage to the skin. Several ingredients have been investigated for their ability to support skin health during these external challenges. This is not an exhaustive list of ingredients; however, it lists the novel and unique ingredients with the most up-to-date research.  

• S-PEA oligopeptide-1 – Discovered by artificial intelligence, S-PEA oligopeptides are cell-signaling peptides that may help improve markers of aging skin, including fine lines, pore quality, wrinkles, and skin texture. In a randomized, double-blind, split-face pilot study, healthy female volunteers (n = 94) applied either the S-PEA oligopeptide-containing lotion or placebo lotion to either half of their face, twice daily, for 28 days. Compared to the baseline, the individuals who received the peptide-containing solution with the highest concentration (35 ppm) showed a 9% reduction in maximum wrinkle depth and a 3% increase in collagen density. These findings are consistent with an improvement in wrinkle appearance.  
• Vitamin E tocotrienols – Vitamin E tocotrienol isomers may help promote normal inflammatory responses in the skin, which is vital for skin damaged by ultraviolet (UV) radiation. In vitro studies have shown that gamma-tocotrienols decrease inflammatory compounds induced by UVB damage and support collagen synthesis.  
• Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) – CoQ10 is used in cells to produce energy, support antioxidant status, promote skin regeneration, and is used in the formation of collagen. A randomized, placebo-controlled study investigated whether the application of topically applied CoQ10 would support cellular metabolism or the antioxidant capacity from skin samples of 73 healthy, non-smoking female volunteers (aged 20 to 66 years). After 14 days of CoQ10 topical application morning and night at concentrations of either 348 mM or 870 mM per 2 mg/cm², the experimental group’s CoQ10 levels were reported to be significantly increased in both the superficial and deeper layers of the epidermis (P < 0.05). After application of the 870 mM concentrations of CoQ10, compared to untreated control cells, CoQ10-treated human keratinocytes showed a statistically significant increase in the oxygen consumption rate (2.79 +/- -.62 fmol/min/cell vs. 3.84 +/- -.80 fmol/min/cell, respectively; p <0.05). 
• Creatine – Creatine is produced within the body and is vital for rapid energy production. Samples taken from older, compared to younger, skin donors after creatine application showed a 23% increase in creatine kinase activity, indicating higher energy availability.  
• Vitamin C – Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that supports collagen and elastin synthesis. Vitamin C, as magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, has been reported to support collagen formation and UVB damage to animal skin cells.  

Eating a diet that is replete with the nutrients needed to support skin health is not enough. To support skin during the aging process, a combination of a skin-supportive, nutrient-rich diet and topical application of compounds is needed. Together, the nutrients and antioxidants found both in consumed foods and in topical applications for skin health may support healthy skin aging. 

To read more about nutrition's connection with skin health, sink your teeth into these:  

• Summer Glow: Tips to Tone Your Face and Support Skin Health 
• Ten Nutrients to Help Your Skin Glow from the Inside Out 
• Unlocking Youthful Skin: Micronutrients for Age-Related Changes  

By Bri Mesenbring, MS, CNS, LDN