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The ring around the lips and flushed cheeks have long been the secret shame of red wine lovers Now, however, wine-stained lips (and skin) are becoming the latest defence in the fight against aging. A spate of beauty products containing resveratrol, the much-celebrated antioxidant in red wine that has proven anti-aging capabilities, has recently hit the market and is claiming to turn back the hands of time more effectively than the night I danced on the bar in a wine-fueled haze.

BITE Beauty's Luminous Crème Lipstick, the brand's latest long-lasting and moisturizing lip colour that's made of 95 per cent natural content, contains approximately 5 to 10 glasses worth of resveratrol. "The average woman applies a lip product five times per day," says founder Susanne Langmuir. "I liked the idea of adding trans-resveratrol to BITE's lipsticks because, like the eyes, lips age. So go ahead and apply often, and lick your lips."

Dubbed the "French Paradox," resveratrol is lauded for targeting the fibroblasts in skin that are responsible for the production of collagen and elastin. Plus, its natural antioxidant properties fight free radicals such as sun damage, which makes red wine sound like the ultimate eau de vie.

Both Skinceuticals and Caudalie are on the wine wagon, too. The latter is launching their Resveratrol LIFT line this fall, which comprises a serum, eye balm, SPF 20 moisturizer and night cream, while Skinceuticals was somewhat early to the party. The brand launched the Resveratrol B E serum in 2014, with the intention of creating a product that would act as a complement to its potent daytime vitamin C formulations. "To defend and repair against free radical damage, skin requires an antioxidant response that includes preventing and protecting during the day with vitamin C, and boosting skin's antioxidants at night," says Lindsay Barass, scientific communications and training lead. "Resveratrol is the only proven antioxidant that is able to prevent internal aging at night."

But before you give in to a bottle of Barolo under the guise of sparing yourself the expense of a visit to your cosmetic dermatologist, be aware that the consumption of resveratrol and the application of it are not equal. According to Barass, you'd have to consume roughly 1,000 bottles of wine per day to receive the same benefits you'd get from using the brand's serum.

Of course, to the initiated among us, that sounds like the gauntlet being thrown.

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