Several ingredients top both physician and consumer lists when it comes to finding skin care products with the right antioxidant punch. But buyer beware—to get the benefits, some of these skin protectors come with conditions, including (but not limited to) special airtight packaging and combination treatments. So before you buy, here’s a reference for finding the right ingredients:

1 Vitamin E (tocopherol):

An antioxidant that helps to prevent UV damage to the skin, vitamin E also acts as a skin moisturizer. Vitamin E is often combined with vitamin C, ferulic acid, CoQ10, and/or green tea for maximum antioxidant treatment.

The down side? “Some forms of vitamin E can lead to contact dermatitis,” points out Dr. Baumann, who did a study that showed that 30 percent of people who applied vitamin E from a gel capsule developed redness and swelling.

2 Vitamin C (ascorbic acid):

As a topical antioxidant, vitamin C is used to prevent or reduce the harmful effects of UV radiation, age spots and post-laser treatment redness. But if vitamin C isn’t packaged correctly, air and light can diminish its effectiveness.

“Vitamin C is great and has to be in just about every regimen in my opinion, in some way,” says Dr. Schlessinger.

While almost all skin care manufacturers have added vitamin C to their products, according to Dr. Baumann, “Skinceuticals, Murad, and La Roche-Posay have formulated the most effective vitamin C-containing products because they contain a form of vitamin C that is stable and absorbed by the skin.”

3 Lycopene (a form of vitamin A)

Lycopene’s strong antioxidant properties have received a great deal of research attention for over a decade. In addition to various other health benefits, lycopene, found commonly in tomatoes, has been shown to minimize the skin damage and redness associated with sun exposure.

4 Ferulic Acid

A plant-derived potent antioxidant, ferulic acid enhances the effects of vitamins C and E and may also increase protection from UV-induced skin damage.

5 Coenzyme Q10 (ubiquinone)

CoQ10 is a nutrient that our bodies produce naturally. But if you’re over 30, it’s likely that you could use a boost in CoQ10 levels to enhance production of skin components such as collagen and elastin. CoQ10-depleted skin is also likely to be more prone to free-radical damage.

6 Idebenone

Similar to CoQ10 in its antioxidant properties, idebenone has a lower molecular weight and therefore penetrates the skin more effectively. Think you haven’t heard of idebenone? Think again: It’s synonymous with Prevage and Prevage MD.

A note of caution from Dr. Schlessinger: “Idebenone has great levels of antioxidants, but sometimes can cause allergies.”

7 Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA)

A well-known natural substance found in certain foods and also produced in the human body, ALAs protect and repair the skin. While known for their antioxidative benefits, topical ALAs have exfoliating properties and can also cause inflammation.

8 Green Tea

Green tea is made from unfermented tea leaves and reportedly contains the highest concentration of powerful antioxidants next to coffeeberry. If a product contains enough green tea to be effective it will turn the cream brown, as seen in one of Dr. Baumann’s favorite products by Topix called Replenix CF cream.

9 Coffeeberry

When partially ripened, a potent antioxidant can be extracted from the fruits of the coffee plant. According to Dr. Baumann, “Coffeeberry has demonstrated a high antioxidant activity; however, Revaleskin, which contains Coffeeberry, can cause acne breakouts in some.”