Want to know why most skin care professionals recommend incorporating an antioxidant serum into your daily skin care regimen? This post explains exactly that.
Shop Apothekari Glow Getter Serum–an antioxidant rich serum suitable for all skin types.
Why Antioxidant Serum is Important?
An antioxidant is a molecule that inhibits the oxidation of other molecules. Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals, substances that are harmful to skin. You may have also heard free radicals described as Reactive Oxygen Species – ROS, which is a term used to describe them in living organisms. An antioxidant helps to minimize the skin damage caused by free radicals.
Do You Really Need an Antioxidant Serum?
Free radicals speed up the aging process by contributing to chain reactions that ultimately lead to cell damage. Because they react with whatever is around, they can attack DNA, proteins and lipids, permanently changing their structure. When it comes to skin, there are unwanted changes, including fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and saggy skin. Free radicals also contribute to the development of some types of skin cancer.
Unlike free radicals, antioxidants are stable molecules. They help protect against damage by donating one of their electrons to a free radical, thereby stopping the chain reaction that causes damage. Fortunately, our bodies manufacture several important antioxidants to help combat free radical damage.
This includes glutathione and enzymes such as catalase and superoxide dismutase. The recommendation to eat (or in the case of your skin, to apply) antioxidants such as vitamin C, vitamin E and others is to help top up your body’s antioxidant store.
Are Antioxidants Necessary in Skincare?
Eating a diet rich in antioxidants is important for your overall wellness. Studies have shown that consuming more antioxidant rich foods like fruits, vegetables and legumes, are associated with a lower risk of some diseases such as heart disease, cancer, and deaths from all causes.
While it’s important to eat a wide range of antioxidants for optimal health, the antioxidants you consume in your diet, don’t make it up to your skin in high levels. That’s why you need to apply them topically.
Lots of research supports the topical application of antioxidants, which have been shown to help protect skin from damage caused by UV rays, pollution and smoke. There isn’t one ‘miracle’ antioxidant and your skin—just like your health—benefits most from a mix of them. The following have good clinical studies to support their efficacy in skin care:
- Vitamin C. The L-ascorbic acid form is backed by the most science
- Vitamin E. Works in tandem with Vitamin C to protect skin
- Ferulic acid. Helps to boost the stability of vitamins C and E
- Green Tea Polyphenols – Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) is thought to have 25-100 times more antioxidant ability as vitamins C and E. Green tea contains other polyphenols (epicatechin, epicathechin-3-gallate, epigallocatechin) with excellent antioxidant activity.
- Superoxide dismutase and catalase. Enzymes found naturally in our bodies.
- Resveratrol.
- Genistein. From soy.
- Lycopene.
- Coenzyme Q10.
This list is by no means exhaustive and as more research becomes available, it’s certain that we’ll discover additional antioxidants that can help skin.
Apothekari’s Glow Getter Serum, available in both a 10% and 15% concentration, contains Vitamin C (as L-ascorbic acid), Vitamin E, green tea plus a range of additional antioxidants to protect, repair, brighten, exfoliate and more. Its light, hydrating formulation makes it suitable for all skin types.
When Should I Start Using Antioxidant Serum?
It’s never too early to start incorporating antioxidants into your skincare routine because the benefits are so well known.
Just like choosing any skin care product, choose an antioxidant serum that’s well formulated to ensure that:
- It’s stable
- Can penetrate your skin, and
- Contains a high enough concentration to do its job.
This is where sticking with a reputable brand makes sense.
The following guidelines will help you to find an antioxidant serum that works:
- To get the most bang for your buck, seek out ingredients that deliver more than just antioxidant protection. For example, Vitamin C not only protects against free radical damage, but also brightens skin tone and promotes collagen synthesis at higher concentrations.
- Opt for a product with a combination of ingredients, which usually performs better than just one single trendy ingredient.
- Apply antioxidants in the morning prior underneath your sunscreen. UV rays are one of the biggest causes of free radicals, which damage skin. Layering it under your sunscreen helps to protect against sun damage in more than one way.
Although this post discusses an antioxidant serum, there’s no reason that you can’t swap the serum for a cream or lotion. A serum is just a delivery system for the ingredients inside so if you lean towards cream or lotion formulations, go with that.
Are you using an antioxidant into your skin care routine?
