If you know a bit about skin care, then you’ll know that antioxidants are one of the fundamental ingredients to incorporate into a skin care regimen. But why?
Skin ages due to a number of factors, free radicals being one of the major contributors. Highly unstable (therefore, highly reactive) particles that are capable of damaging cell structures, free radicals are generated daily during normal living. Exposure to UV rays, pollution and anything else that challenges the skin may result in the production of free radicals.
Antioxidants are ingredients that can help to minimize some of the damage caused by free radicals. However, keep in mind that this assumption is based on indirect vs direct research. One of the challenges with applying antioxidants to the skin is their unreliability – they can be unstable if not prepared properly, they may interact with other ingredients or they may not be absorbed adequately.
Antioxidants may be water soluble (Vitamin C, glutathione and selenium for example), fat soluble (Vitamin E, Vitamin A and CoEnzyme Q10, for example) or a combination of water and fat soluble (Alpha lipoic acid, some polyphenols (as in green tea) and flavonoids for example). Their solubility affects where they exert their action. Water soluble antioxidants work primarily in the intra and extra cellular fluid; fat soluble antioxidants protect fatty membranes. However, both types are necessary for adequate antioxidant protection in the skin.
Instead of getting hung up on one particular antioxidant, strive for a combination. While you will find research to back up the use of most antioxidants, vitamins A, C and E along with green tea have the most research to back up claims associated with their use. For this reason, you may wish to stick with these.
Here are some products to consider:
Reversa Antioxidant Booster Serum – green tea, Vitamin E and B-glucan protect against environmental stress
La Roche Posay Active C or La Roche Posay Redermic – 5% active Vitamin C (plus madecassoside in Redermic) battle free radicals
La Roche Posay Derm AOX – Vitamin C combines with pine bark extract and carnosine delivers antioxidant and anti-glycation protection.
