Why Your Skin Loves Antioxidants

The importance of protecting your skin from free radicals

Let’s face it — we’re all aging. However, the goal is to age gracefully. As I’ve noted before and will continue to emphasize, sunscreen is vital to protecting the skin. The earlier you incorporate sunscreen into your skincare routine, the healthier your skin will be for years to come. Another staple you should incorporate into your skincare routine, if you haven’t already, are antioxidants.

Quick Science:

Our world and our bodies are made of molecules, and molecules contain atoms. Within our bodies there are billions of oxygen atoms, that contribute to the overall health of the body – and the skin. A healthy atom is made up of electrons that orbit, in pairs, around it.

What Are Free Radicals?

When a healthy oxygen atom loses an electron, it becomes a free radical. The loss of the electron makes the atom unstable. This free radical will now attempt to find an electron to pair with, in order to stabilize, and in doing so it will take an electron from another molecule. That molecule then becomes a free radical and will look to stabilize by stealing an electron from another molecule, creating a chain reaction known as oxidation.

Free radicals are responsible for breaking down the skin’s collagen, causing wrinkles, dark spots, fine lines and loose, saggy skin. They’re produced in the body naturally, but they’re also produced by external factors like UV rays, pollution, stress and cigarette use.

Think of an apple that you started eating, but forgot about on the counter. When you finally remember and go back to finish it, it’s now brown, wrinkly and dried out. Your skin experiences a similar reaction if you don’t minimize the oxidation reaction caused by free radicals.

How? Through the use of antioxidants.

What Are Antioxidants?

Antioxidants are molecules that contain an extra electron that they donate to a free radical without making themselves unstable. They protect the skin and reduce the oxidation reaction caused by free radicals. Antioxidants are vital in supporting healthy cellular function and preventing premature aging. They promote collagen production, enhance elasticity, and help minimize UV damage.

You're exposed to free radicals every day, so while you can't avoid them entirely, you can incorporate powerful antioxidants to help protect your skin.

When To Use Antioxidants

Antioxidants can be used in the morning and at night. When used in the morning, antioxidants help to prevent and protect. Remember to apply sunscreen last. When used at night, antioxidants support the skin’s ability to restore and repair.

Common Antioxidants In Skincare

• Vitamin A: A potent antioxidant with the added benefits of reducing fine lines, filling wrinkles, lifting dark marks, to dramatically improve tone and texture. It also helps to increase cellular turnover.

• Vitamin B3: Also known as niacinamide, works to improve the skin’s texture and tone. It reduces fine lines, wrinkles and hyperpigmentation and exhibits anti-inflammatory properties and plays a role in maintaining the skin’s natural protective barrier.

• Vitamin C: In addition to helping protect your skin from harmful, free-radical-producing UVB rays, Vitamin C helps build collagen, reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, minimizes the appearance of dark spots, leaving you with firmer and younger-looking skin. Be sure to look for L-ascorbic acid.

• Vitamin E: Essential for the maintenance of healthy skin, Vitamin E guards cells from UV-induced damage and the effects of environmental damage. Found in sunflower oils, and various nuts, and seeds, Vitamin E has reparative and regenerative properties.
  

• Resveratrol: An antioxidant found mostly in the skins of fruits like grapes and berries, resveratrol protects the skin from signs of aging and for younger looking, firmer skin. It also has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-fungal properties to help calm the skin.

Foods Rich in Antioxidants

What’s even more important than what you put on your skin, is what you put in your body. Adding foods to your diet that are rich in antioxidants is essential to maintaining your overall health and the health of your skin. Spinach, blueberries, beets, and red cabbage are all packed with antioxidants and nutrients. Brightly colored fruits and vegetables like carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, and squash contain carotenoids that are beneficial for counteracting free radical damage and supporting the body. Green tea and dark chocolate, also contain high concentrations of antioxidants.

Be good to your skin and it will be good to you,

Tanali

Any information provided on this website is for educational purposes only. It is not medical advice and should not be substituted for regular consultation with your health care provider. If you have any concerns about your health, please contact your health care provider's office.