Antioxidants
The fountain of youth!
Think of an apple slice turning brown, or an iron piece rusting — our skin oxidizes (i.e. deteriorates) the same way. Our bodies have a natural way of fighting this oxidation but when it increases multifold our defense mechanism can’t keep up and it leads to oxidative stress, which according to research is the biggest contributor to skin aging.
Daily exposure to ultraviolet rays (UV) rays, pollution (car exhaust, cigarette smoke, chemicals), blue light from devices (tablets, phones etc.), and poor lifestyle habits (alcohol, stress, unhealthy diet — more sugar, less vegetables and fruits) create free radicals that are responsible for this damage.
What are free radicals and how do they work?
Just like a virus attacks the computer, free radicals get into the body trying to break it down. They are the #1 enemy — highly unstable molecules with only one electron. So they steal electrons from healthy molecules in the body to stabilize themselves. The once healthy molecules are now free radicals and they want to steal. This is the beginning of a dangerous chain reaction that wreaks havoc on anything in its path including vital proteins (such as collagen and elastin, both required to keep the skin firm and youthful), cell membranes and even DNA.
On the skin they cause wrinkles, dark spots and pigmentation, and damage the skin barrier (the outermost layer of skin). In the body they can cause deadly diseases such as cancer and heart ailments.
Start with leading a healthy lifestyle, and for skin, research shows that antioxidants are a must have in your regimen — they help prevent, fight and neutralize free radicals.
How do antioxidants work?
Antioxidants, also called ‘chain breakers’ cutoff the bad chain of free radicals and destroy them before they can cause any damage. In doing so they work wonders for your skin:
- Reverse signs of age — Oxidative stress breaks down skin collagen causing fine lines, wrinkles, and saggy skin. By attacking free radicals, antioxidants prevent and correct signs of aging and give skin a supple and youthful look.
- Brighten skin tone — Free radicals can cause dark spots and hyperpigmentation by increasing melanin formation in the skin. Antioxidants reduce photo-damage thus preventing abnormal pigmentation and helping even out the skin tone.
- Restore skin’s protective barrier — Antioxidants strengthen the barrier by reducing water loss from the outermost layer of the skin. The result is soft, plump and healthy looking skin.
- Soothe inflammation and provide sun protection — Antioxidants can reduce inflammation allowing the skin to repair and renew itself, thus correcting any visible signs of damage. This is important since harmful UV rays can trigger inflammation which can be neutralized by antioxidants, thus shielding the skin against sun damage. Don’t confuse this with what sunscreen does to block UV rays.
What are the different types of antioxidants?
There are many types of antioxidants available to choose from with some being more potent than others. You can’t compare one antioxidant to another, but individually there is a lot of research and clinical studies to support their use in skincare. Just one antioxidant by itself isn’t enough, according to research using several different antioxidants offers higher antioxidant activity, making them more effective. Remember, you need an army of these to constantly neutralize free radicals to ensure healthy and youthful skin.
- Vitamin C — It’s the most potent antioxidant on the planet and the #1 antioxidant you need to add to your skincare routine. It not only fights free radicals but it also increases collagen, reduces pigmentation and brightens skins, and offers sun protection benefits. But it’s available in many different forms so how do you choose from a sea of products on the market? Add to it the stability issues of Vitamin C and you end up with more confusion. Read my Vitamin C guide to help you understand the various forms and tips to choose the right product.
- Vitamin E — This is an all-around powerhouse since it not only fights free radicals but is also a great moisturizing and healing ingredient. No wonder you’ll see it in a lot of creams, lotions, and also products designed to treat stretch marks. It also helps strengthen the skin barrier by reducing water loss, and acts as an anti-inflammatory helping to soothe and calm the skin. Tip: If you have oily or acne prone skin stay away.
On the products ingredients list Vitamin E is listed as tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate, and disodium lauriminodipropionate tocopheryl phosphates.
Products: Jason Age Renewal Vitamin E 25,000 IU Moisturizing Creme
3. Ferulic acid — Another great antioxidant, it fights free radicals to help reduce pigmentation and even out skin tone, fights wrinkles and soothes inflammation; but the most important benefit of ferulic acid is its ability to stabilize other antioxidants and increase their effectiveness. Research shows that ferulic acid stabilizes a solution of vitamins C and E and doubles its photo protection of skin — no wonder the SkinCeuticals CE Ferulic with 15% L-Ascorbic Acid formula is magic in a bottle.
4. Coenzyme Q10 (aka CoQ10, Ubiquinone) — This is a naturally occurring antioxidant in our skin working round the clock to shield it from oxidative damage, keeping the skin wrinkle free and plump. Remember how you could pull an all-nighter back then and still look fresh in the morning? With age natural CoQ10 levels start to drop and signs of aging become more visible. There is good news though — research indicates that topical application of CoQ10 increases skin’s natural CoQ10 not only in the outermost layer but in the deeper layers as well, thus diminishing signs of aging and improving elasticity and texture.
Products: Indie Lee CoQ-10 Toner
5. Resveratrol — Hailed as the longevity molecule because of its impressive anti-aging abilities, Resveratrol has quite a bit of research backing its use in skincare. One study confirms it has 17 times the antioxidant potency than Idebenone (so-called anti-aging ingredient used in many expensive products). It’s naturally found in the skin of plants such as grapes and berries and serves as their defensive armor, a property that it replicates when used on human skin. It protects the skin barrier from environment aggressors, creates healthy collagen, hydrates and soothes the skin hence is anti-inflammatory, and improves the overall texture of the skin.
Products: The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%
6. Green tea extract — We all love our green tea drink, don’t we? It’s known to possess high amounts of antioxidants important to fight cellular and DNA damage. When it comes to skin, research indicates its effectiveness in fighting UV induced photodamage and calming inflammation on the skin.
Products: Innisfree Intensive hydrating cream with green tea seed
7. Superoxide dismutase (in short SOD) — I don’t want to take away the spotlight from Vitamin C, but this antioxidant does sit above all. Why? Because of its superpower in sniffing out and neutralizing any molecule even before it becomes a free radical. While all the other antioxidants act after the fact — they neutralize already created free radicals by donating an electron to them, in the process becoming free radicals themselves albeit less damaging. SOD does everything your skin needs — prevents signs of aging but also repairs aging skin (even better) making it more resilient; fights hyperpigmentation and age spots evening out the complexion.
Products: NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist (SDSM2)
The bottom line…..
Our body is constantly under attack from free radicals every hour of the day. It needs a never-ending supply of ammunition i.e. antioxidants in this ongoing fight. So don’t wait until it’s too late!
