According to iParenting, Jennifer Aniston uses a French skin care line called Caudalíe (pronounced koh-da-lee) because it contains a grape seed ingredient that has powerful anti-aging properties. Could this be true???? Could celebrities like Jen have access to fountain of youth technology that we regular people can only dream about? To find out we have to take a look at the science of Caudalie.

Caudalie science or fiction?

The secret of Caudalie involves the antioxidant properites grape juice. Ok, it’s not exactly grape juice, it’s really a special extract of grape seeds but it supposedly reduces chemicals called free radicals that damage skin. And according to Caudalie, free radicals cause 80% of skin aging.

Is this really true? Well, it is true that free radicals cause skin damage and that damage does make the skin appear older. But we can’t find any other source that attributes “80%” of skin damage to free radicals. And, if you read Caudalie’s claim carefully, they don’t say that their product stops 80% of all skin damage, they just say that their product is effective against the thing that causes 80% of the damage. See the difference?

Pro Antioxodant

The experts agree antioxidants are important but they say that sun protection is a key to fighting skin damage and premature aging. According to Smartskincare.com polyphenols, like those used by Caudalie, “appear to exert sun damage protection by quenching free radicals and reducing inflammation rather than by blocking UV rays” and therefore “may synergistically enhance sun protection when used in addition to a sunscreen.” So, while grape-based antioxidant treatments can be helpful, you should still use a sunscreen.

Are there other antioxidants that work? You bet. Although Caudalie claims their grape derived ingredient is highly effective, there are other scientific articles that show that green tea is pretty darn potent too.

The Beauty Brains bottom line

Celebrities like Jennifer who use Caudalie maybe getting good protection against free radical damage but they’re certainly paying a pretty penny for the brand name. There are plenty of other products that offer similar functionality at a much lower price. Hey, if you can afford Caudalie go for it. But if you can’t, don’t despair. Antioxidants help but the important thing is to protect your skin with a good sunscreen. You can have great skin even if you can’t afford what the celebrities are using.

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