Antioxidants to the Rescue

The Heroes that Come to Your Skin’s Defense

These days, it seems it’s hard to turn on the television or read your favorite beauty magazine without coming across the term antioxidant. In recent years, these supermolecules have become somewhat of a buzzword in the food and cosmetics industries–used to promote everything from sports drinks to lip gloss–but while most of us know that antioxidants are good for us, few people fully understand their unique function and health-promoting benefits.

So, what’s the buzz all about?

Simply put, antioxidants are the skin’s protectors. Known by skin care professionals as “free radical scavengers,” antioxidants are the body’s first line of defense against oxidative damage–a chemical reaction that occurs when a cellular molecule comes into contact with oxygen and loses an electron, thus producing an unstable molecule in the body, called a free radical.

Spawned from internal and external stressors such as UV rays, environmental pollution, household products and even metabolism, free radicals attack healthy cells nearby–including proteins, fats and DNA–stealing their electrons and causing the cellular degeneration that we commonly associate with skin damage and premature aging. Antioxidants, however, come to the rescue and neutralize potentially harmful free radicals by sacrificing their own electrons to replace those lost during oxidation.

By working to guard cells and prevent free radical damage, antioxidants help target aesthetic imperfections like sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles and uneven pigmentation, in effect slowing down the aging process to preserve skin’s youthful radiance.

To date, hundreds of antioxidants have been identified, the most well-known of which are vitamins A, C and E, beta-carotene, selenium and zinc. Amazingly, researchers contend that there may be hundreds of others yet to be discovered. But even more impressive is the fact that each antioxidant offers specific advantages to the body and skin. For example, glutathione from spinach protects membrane lipids and reduces stimulation of melanin, whereas mandelic acid from almonds increases cell turnover and suppresses inflammation.

While some antioxidants are obtained from food, others are manufactured naturally by the body. Unfortunately, environmental hazards and lifestyle choices (i.e. cigarette smoking, alcohol consumption, excessive sun exposure and a poor diet) can quickly deplete the body’s stores of antioxidants and increase free radical production. Therefore, it is imperative that we replenish the body’s natural reserves with antioxidant-rich foods, dietary supplements and topical products for the skin.

With the summer sun blazing bright, the free radical threat is literally looming just overhead. As the chief catalyst of oxidative stress, UV rays can easily set off a free radical cascade resulting in photoaging, discolorations and dull, thinning skin.

Now is the time to build up skin health and correct summer’s damage, so that you can get ready for peel season and reveal a fresh complexion this fall. By maintaining an ample supply of antioxidants in the body, the danger of UV-induced free radical damage is significantly lessened, allowing skin to sustain a healthier, younger looking appearance for seasons to come.