Benefits of Antioxidants in your Skincare Regimen
You may have heard that antioxidants are great in your skincare regimen. Maybe you've already incorporated Vitamin C. But do you want to know how it works? Here we go:
*When applied topically, as in a skincare product, antioxidants protect your DNA by scavenging DNA damaging free radicals. You've probably heard of free radicals being unhealthy in the body....
<blows dust off chemistry book>
They are unstable molecules with an unpaired electron, looking to give it away or snatch an electron from a complete and stable molecule, thus destabilizing it. When your DNA is the molecule being attacked by a free radical, there may be errors in the following cell divisions from the damaged DNA. Other proteins (collagen) and lipids in the body are also vulnerable to free radical attack. UV rays, X rays, air pollution, cigarette smoke, pesticides and some of our own metabolic processes expose us to free radicals. Accumulation of free radical oxidation in the body is attributed to many processes of cellular aging, atherosclerosis and cancer. Antioxidants are stable molecules capable of donating an electron to the rampaging free radical, thus neutralizing it and preventing its cellular damage. Hooray! Antioxidants can be obtained through your diet (blueberries!) and via topical application (skincare!)
*They increase skin immunity by increasing Langerhans cells, which are the outermost guard of the immune system in the skin.
*Antioxidants also help prevent collagen breakdown, and vitamin C has a role in collagen production in the skin.
*Additionally, they reduce hyperpigmentation by working in the melanin production process.
*Finally, theoretically, antioxidants should help reduce skin cancer formation by reducing free radical damage to DNA, and therefore reducing gene mutations. Research is ongoing regarding this benefit of topical antioxidant application for skin cancer prevention.
*Vitamin C is a well known antioxidant in skincare, but there are many many other antioxidants that can be applied topically for additional benefit (Vit E! Coenzyme Q10! Acai, Green Tea, Cocoa, Turmeric! More!). We recommend skinbetter science: Alto Defense Serum and Alto Advanced because they're really strong. These two products have a large number of antioxidants included - vitamin C plus 18 others, and Alto Advanced is formulated to attack free radicals that are produced by our own bodies (endogenous).
Another quick-and-easy way to get your vitamin C on, along with sunscreen is UV Elements by EltaMD. It's a combo of mineral SPF 44 plus hyaluronic acid and vitamin C with tint and a dreamy texture for pretty skin.
You may go get your antioxidant serum and Acai bowl now.
