What are free radicals?
Our bodies deal with free radicals every single day. Free radicals are unstable (missing an electron) molecules found in the environment. Free radicals cause damage as they travel through the skin, seeking their final electron pair, until they find an unfortunate donor who, then, becomes the new free radical. Until the final free radical in the ‘free radical relay’ stabilises, this reaction continues on and on, puncturing cell membranes, impeding cell function, and even damaging DNA! Unfortunately, we cannot always control the environment we live in, but we can control what we put on our skin and in our bodies.
Antioxidants are the skin/body’s natural
defence against free radicals!
Introducing antioxidants
Antioxidants are molecules that can donate an electron to free radicals without becoming ‘radical’ themselves, neutralizing the chain of free radicals before they do too much damage. Antioxidants are the skin/body’s natural defence against free radicals!
What do antioxidants do for the skin?
Protect and prevent
Antioxidants protect the skin from free radical damage, therefore, preventing signs of premature ageing and damage to the skin. Preventing the breakdown of collagen, preventing wrinkles forming and sun-damage.
Anti-inflammatory
Antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties, which will help protect the skin against inflammation caused by exposure to UV rays by blocking the inflammatory response the skin has to sunlight, protecting your skin further from sunburn and photo aged skin.
Repair
Antioxidants reduce inflammation, by reducing inflammation in the skin; it allows the skin to go into repair mode. Inflammation causes ageing in the skin.
Brighten
Antioxidants can brighten the skin by reducing the chance of hyper-pigmentation through UV damage to the melanocytes. Antioxidants like Vitamin C can also act as a melanin suppressant, regulating the overacting melanocyte activity responsible for the Hyper-pigmentation on the skin.
It’s simple, protect your skin from the damage in the first place. Prevention is better than cure!!
Daily topical antioxidants, along with a broad-spectrum physical sunscreen, will help protect our skin from harmful free radicals. Feeding your body from within with antioxidant rich foods also essential for healthy glowing skin. All are essential steps in achieving healthy skin that does not prematurely age. It’s simple, protect your skin from the damage in the first place. Prevention is better than cure!!
Vitamin C
Vitamin C is a potent antioxidant. When used topically, it can protect the skin from free radical damage preventing the break down of collagen, elasticity, and premature ageing. Vitamin C also supports collagen production. It is best to apply Vitamin C in the morning alongside a broad-spectrum sunscreen.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is the name given to a group of oil-soluble antioxidants. There are many different names that fall under the vitamin E umbrella, but tocopheryl acetate and tocopherol are the names you will commonly see in skincare and supplements – it’s a form that the body can recognize and use. Vitamin E, is a powerful antioxidant that can boost the efficiency and potency of vitamin C, so they are commonly used together. Vitamin E is incredibly moisturizing and healing, commonly used to aid healing and scar treatment.
Niacinamide
Niacinamide, known as Vitamin B3, is an antioxidant that often forgotten about in the skincare world. Niacinamide is a powerful antioxidant with endless benefits for the skin. Niacinamide helps support barrier function, treat hyper-pigmentation, regulates oil production and treat acne thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties.
Resveratrol
Resveratrol is an antioxidant found in grapes, and one of the reasons why a Friday night glass of red has its health benefits, but it doesn’t have to stop there – applying resveratrol to your skin has many benefits alongside a potent antioxidant. Resveratrol can help to reduce redness, increase firmness, even skin tone and aid hydration in the skin. Resveratrol is great as part of a nighttime skin routine.
Applying antioxidants topically is key, but also adding antioxidant rich foods and supplements to our diet is a must, we need to treat the body inside out.
Glutathione
Glutathione is an antioxidant that we naturally produce in the body, but production slows down in our 20s. It’s an important antioxidant for skin health and overall wellbeing and longevity. Glutathione has been used in skincare for its skin brightening capabilities as it’a a tyrosinase inhibitor, but its antioxidant capabilities are powerful, destroying free radicals rapidly.
Supplementing and suppling are diet with foods rich in glutathione is key, it will not only improve the skin’s health but it improves energy levels, brain and heart health.
Glutathione is widely available in supplements, but many are not bioavailable, and this is why it’s offered through an IV (intravenous). However supplements like Lypo- spheric Glutathione use a smart Liposomal encapsulation technology for maximum absorption, so if you are not a fan of needles then this is a great option.
Antioxidant-rich foods
- Green Tea
- Blueberries
- Strawberries
- Blackberries
- Goji berries
- Avocados
- Spinach
- Camu camu berry
- Broccoli
- Grapes
- Dark leafy greens
- Dark chocolate/cacao
Feed your skin with antioxidants inside and out
Treating the skin as a whole, inside and out is key to achieving healthy glowing skin and ageing well. Start adding antioxidants to your skin regimen and fill your diet with healthy antioxidant rich foods and see how your skin and well-being change.
Let us age, but age well!
With skin Love
Kimberly
