The Next Big Anti-Wrinkle Ingredient? on Yahoo! Health

You may have already heard or read about coffeeberry ... and if not, you will soon! It's the latest antioxidant to take the beauty business by storm.

At its February 2007 meeting, the American Academy of Dermatology also recognized the benefits of coffeeberry. But is it everything it's cracked up to be?

Coffeeberry is the fruit of the coffee plant. It's loaded with polyphenols, which are known to have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

In fact, although coffeeberry has only recently begun to receive attention, early studies suggest that it might be higher in antioxidants than blueberries, pomegranates, and green tea - currently the heavy hitters of antioxidants!

So which products contain coffeeberry?

RevaléSkin^TM was the first skin care line to hit the market. It can be used with the oral antioxidant supplement of your choice such as coenzyme Q10. (Whatever your antioxidant of choice, a combination of oral and topical products is always your best bet to fight the signs of aging and external damage.)

No doubt, more and more skin care products will be touting their latest antioxidant ingredient in the future! But whatever claims you might hear, remember: Like all antioxidants, coffeeberry can help prevent new wrinkles, but it doesn't treat existing ones.

In my opinion, all antioxidants are an important component of an effective skin care regimen. Use them in combination with sunscreen and a retinoid like retinol, Retin A, Differin, or Tazorac and you are doing a great job of preventing skin aging.

Wishing you great skin!

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Dr. Baumann is author of the best-selling book, " The Skin Type Solution." To learn more about her revolutionary skin typing system, visit her Web site, SkinTypeSolutions.com.

All of Dr. Baumann's recommended skin care products are available online, and a portion of proceeds goes to The Dermatology Foundation.