Antioxidants have been shown to be beneficial for our health in a variety of ways.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances that prevent or delay some types of cell damage caused by unstable molecules called free radicals and oxidative stress. The word antioxidant is self-explanatory in the sense of its action. Anti – meaning ‘opposite to’ and ‘oxidant’ – being an ‘oxidizing agent’. Antioxidants are molecules that protect against cell damage caused by free radicals.
What are free radicals?
Free radicals (although they sound positive), are molecules with an unpaired electron that cause cell damage. This starts a chain reaction that damages healthy cells which leads to premature ageing, ageing, and long-term, may lead to cancer and other serious diseases. The body has exposure to oxidative stress as part of its metabolic activities and through environmental sources, such as pollution, cigarette smoking, UV Sun exposure, and substances such as drugs and alcohol.
Because free radicals are unstable molecules, they cause oxidative stress within cells by stealing electrons from other molecules in order to become stable again. This process damages the DNA in our cells, causing them to mutate and become cancerous cells. Antioxidants neutralize these free radicals before they can cause any damage.
As well as rapidly ageing the cells of the body (which as a result causes premature skin ageing), oxidative stress and free radicals can also cause aging and diseases, including:
· Cancer: Free radicals can cause DNA mutations which lead to cancer.
· Cardiovascular disease: Oxidative stress contributes to atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).
· Diabetes: Increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) results in beta cell damage which contributes to diabetes mellitus type 2.
· Neurodegeneration: ROS have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.
In order to slow down and reduce free radical damage, antioxidants are required to counteract this negative action. Antioxidants are found in many foods, including fruits, vegetables, beans, and grains. Some antioxidants are made by the body; others come from eating a healthy diet.
Antioxidants include vitamins A, C, E, and selenium; carotenoids such as lycopene (found in tomatoes) and beta-carotene (found in carrots); flavonoids such as catechins (found in green tea) and anthocyanins (found in blueberries); glutathione; melatonin; and coenzyme Q10.
These little wonders have been proven through research to help protect the skin from harmful UV radiation, which can accelerate skin aging, and improve the skin’s condition by providing essential nutrients externally and internally through a varied and balanced healthy diet and topical antioxidant skincare.
Benefits of antioxidants in skincare
Antioxidants are essential for skin health and well-being. They protect against harmful UV radiation that can accelerate skin aging, and improve the skin’s condition by providing essential nutrients externally and internally through a varied and balanced healthy diet and topical antioxidant skincare.
There are many different types of antioxidants that work in different ways:
· Stimulating the synthesis and production of collagen and elastin
· Improving skin hydration
· Reducing the appearance of wrinkles and pigmentation
· Supporting healing processes
· Reducing inflammation
· Reducing DNA damage from UV light
Carotenoids, for example, are a family of over 600 fat-soluble pigments found in plants that give them their vibrant colors (e.g., carrots). Carotenoids are powerful antioxidants that prevent damage caused by ultraviolet light from reaching deeper layers of skin where it can cause permanent cell damage and hyperpigmentation. Carotenoids are found in high concentrations in fruits such as apricots, peaches, mangoes, cantaloupe melons, and tomatoes.
Antioxidants are beneficial compounds that help prevent damage to cells and tissues in the body and play a vital role in preventing skin conditions. The best antioxidants for optimum skin health include:
· Vitamin A: This fat-soluble vitamin is essential for healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps protect against sun damage and dryness. The best sources of vitamin A are dairy products, eggs, fish, and liver.
· Vitamin E: This antioxidant helps protect the skin from free radicals, which can damage cells. The best sources are nuts and seeds, whole grains, avocados, and leafy greens like spinach and kale.
· Vitamin C: This water-soluble vitamin is an antioxidant that helps repair damaged skin cells and strengthen collagen fibres that keep skin firm and elastic. It also boosts immunity against infection by helping the body make white blood cells that fight off germs. The best sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits such as oranges
· Selenium, zinc, and copper are all trace minerals that play a role in the health of your skin. Selenium is an antioxidant that may help protect against sun damage and other signs of aging. It also helps maintain collagen production. Zinc helps with healing wounds and improving the appearance of scars. Copper helps to keep the skin soft and smooth, promotes elasticity, and improves the appearance of wrinkles.
· Polyphenols are plant compounds found in many foods including tea, coffee, and red wine that have been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties. They may also help prevent diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels after eating a meal with carbohydrates (carbohydrates).
· Silymarin (milk thistle), epicatechin (green tea extract), genistein (soybeans), curcumin (turmeric), bakuchiol (Psoralea corylifolia) resveratrol (grape seeds)
Research has shown that vitamin C is the most abundant antioxidant that can be found in human skin. Even with high-dose oral supplement consumption, only a tiny amount of vitamin C becomes available and active in the skin. For this reason, it is essential that topical vitamin C products are applied to the skin. Regular topical application of vitamin C may have proven anti-aging and anti-pigmentation properties and protects from the effects of the sun. As a bonus action, vitamin C replenishes vitamin E levels in the skin.
Retinoids are vitamin A-based products and include retinol. Retinol is a popular ingredient in skin care products and is the only known substance, proven to have the ability to ‘reverse’ damaged DNA in cells as well as aiding with uneven skin tone, and pigmentation, and significantly improve skin texture.
Vitamin E is another important antioxidant for skin health, especially when applied topically. It helps to protect against harmful free radicals that can cause aging by preventing lipid peroxidation (oxidation of lipids) in the cell membranes of skin cells. It also helps maintain healthy collagen levels by protecting against collagen degradation caused by environmental stressors such as UV radiation or pollution particles. Vitamin E also works synergistically with other antioxidants by regenerating their activity once they've been used up by free radicals or other reactive oxygen species (ROS).
It is important to note that people who use retinoid and Vitamin C products must use sunscreen daily, as they make the skin more photosensitive, making the skin more susceptible to sun damage and hyperpigmentation. We would like to point out that we urge everybody to use SPF daily regardless of your choice of actives on the skin.
You can find our full list of active ingredients contained within our skincare products in our Key Ingredients Glossary, and discover our key active ingredients listed in each of our products in our shop.
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