Antioxidants and free radicals... We've been hearing these terms thrown around a lot lately, but what do they actually mean and why are they so important?
Free radicals are essentially unstable oxygen atoms that cause havoc for your skin. They are to blame for much of our skin complaints including ageing and inflammation.
Free radicals are continuously being produced in normal body tissue reactions. The production of free radicals increase in response to certain forms of inflammation such as sun exposure, pollution, smoking and stress.
To gain stability, free radicals react to everything around them. Too many of these free radical reactions cause cellular damage to our skin.
Antioxidants are free radical scavengers, that chemically stabalise free radicals before they cause damage. We have many naturally occurring antioxidants in our skin. However, as we age our skin's natural ability to produce antioxidants declines and thus we face a higher risk of skin damage by free radicals.
Topical antioxidants are used in most skincare these days, two main ones you'll probably recognise are Vitamin E and Vitamin C. For them to be effective, it's important to have the right concentrations and that they are fully absorbed into the skin.
Benefits of higher levels of antioxidants:
Prevent premature signs of ageing such as fine lines and wrinkles;
Reduce inflammation;
Stimulates cell renewal & repair;
Protect collagen in the skin;
Prevent hyperpigmentation;
Our favourite anti-oxidant heroes:
Prickly Pear Seed Oil
One of the strongest natural free radical scavengers around, Prickly Pear Seed Oil is the skin's antioxidant hero! The antioxidant ability of this precious oil is attributed to the high concentration of several compounds namely Vitamin E & C, carotenoids, flavonoids and polyphenols which all assist in fighting free radicals.
It's an ancient skincare secret from the Saharan desert, but only recently has it become a hot research topic and more commonly used.
Lightly, Darling's Tip:
Add an antioxidant essence into your skincare routine. Huxley has a range of four essences formulated with high concentrations of prickly pear seed oil and other antioxidants. They are suitable for all skin types. Check out our previous blog post if you'd like some advice on how to choose the right one for you!
Fermented Black Tea (Kombucha)
Fermented Black Tea is not just a probiotic drink that supports gut health, it has a multitude of positive visible effects for our skin including containing high levels of antioxidants.
Lightly, Darling Tip:
Add the power of fermented black tea into your eye care routine with Pyunkang Yul's beautiful Black Tea Time Reverse Eye Cream. This cream provides a boost of antioxidants into the delicate skin around the eyes and helps reduce wrinkles. It is fragrance-free and certified zero irritation.
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