What are antioxidants? And why are they such an important part of a skin care routine?

You’ve likely heard about antioxidants and how important they are when it comes to taking care of your health – especially when it comes to your skin. But despite knowing that we need antioxidants, many people don’t understand why they’re so important.

Free radicals and how they occur

If you’ve ever had a bicycle or a car that developed rust – or an apple or an avocado that turned brown – then you’ve seen the effects of oxidation, a chemical process that occurs throughout nature. When we’re talking about our skin, oxidation happens as a result of exposure to ultraviolet light, or even pollution. At a cellular level, this exposure to certain environmental stressors creates free radicals – atoms that have an unpaired electron in their outer shell.

Why is that unpaired electron a problem? An atom’s chemical behavior is determined by the number of electrons in that outer shell. When atoms form chemical bonds they share the electrons in the outer shell. When a process occurs that weakens or breaks that bond, an atom can be left with an unstable electron – a “free radical.”

When a free radical forms, its natural reaction is to attack the nearest stable molecule in order to “steal” an electron to gain stability. The molecule it attacked then itself becomes a free radical. The process continues, disrupting and damaging the cell.

How do antioxidants help?

An antioxidant neutralizes a free radical by giving away one of its electrons in order to stop the process of atoms stealing electrons from one another. Antioxidants are special in that they are stable even without the newly-donated electron. In other words, they are able to lose an electron without become free radicals themselves. Antioxidants like Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, lutein, and lycopene are incredibly useful at preventing the damage to cells that can cause disease and other types of cell deterioration.

Do topical antioxidants work?

Antioxidants are important both inside and outside your body. Of course it’s important to eat healthy – and antioxidant-rich foods like berries and green tea are great for your overall health as well as your skin. But topical antioxidants are also helping in the fight against free radicals. As long as the antioxidants are kept stable, are formulated properly in order to absorb into the cells, and are concentrated enough to be effective, topical antioxidants can help reduce wrinkles and other damage and inflammation.