All About Free Radicals and Antioxidants

Learn how antioxidants protect your skin from environmental damage and premature aging

Antioxidants and free radicals are among the biggest buzzwords in the world of beauty but what exactly are they and how do they factor into both skin health and skincare?

Read on for our Skin Laundry guide to free radicals and antioxidants.

What are free radicals?

Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons. Because free radicals are unstable, they steal electrons from other cells, damaging them in the process. Free radicals are formed naturally in the body and play an important role in many normal cellular processes, but at high concentrations free radicals can cause damage to all the major components of our skin cells, including lipids, proteins and cell membranes.

What are antioxidants?

Antioxidants, also known as free radical scavengers, are chemicals that interact with and neutralize free radicals, preventing them from causing damage. While our body naturally produces antioxidants (known as endogenous antioxidants), it relies on external (exogenous) sources to obtain the rest of the antioxidants it needs. External sources of antioxidants include dietary sources such as fruits, vegetables, grains and topical active ingredients, both of which work to neutralize free radicals.

What is oxidative stress?

An overload of free radicals can result in free radical damage or oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can impair skin function in a number of ways including inhibiting collagen and elastin production, triggering dark spots and other discoloration, compromising skin barrier function, increasing sensitivity and decreasing moisture. Free radicals, and the damage they cause, therefore play a major role in the skin's aging process.

How do antioxidants prevent oxidative stress and free radical damage to the skin?

In a perfect world, our body is able to maintain a balance (or homeostasis) between free radicals and antioxidants. Exposure to sun, smoke and even stress, however, can throw this balance off and leave our skin unable to keep free radicals in check. Antioxidants can prevent oxidative stress by neutralizing free radicals, either breaking them down or interrupting the chain reactions that they cause. Maintaining a balance between free radicals and antioxidants is therefore crucial to proper cell function, skin health and fending off oxidative stress.

In addition to a healthy diet, lowering exposure to environmental pollutants with oxidizing properties and wearing sunscreen to prevent UV-induced free radical damage, adding additional targeted antioxidants into your skincare routine is another way to neutralize free radicals and mitigate the damage they cause.

What are the benefits of antioxidant skincare?

• Helps to prevent UV damage

• Improves skin barrier function and hydration levels in the skin

• Protects the existing collagen and elastin in the skin from free radicals and stimulate new production

• Helps to reduce the appearance of pigmentation and dark spots

• Supports healing processes in the skin

• Reduces inflammation

What are the best antioxidants for skin?

Fortunately, when it comes to skincare there are a host of hero antioxidants available with proven protective and restorative benefits. Among the top performers are the following.

Vitamin A

While Vitamin A (also known as retinol) is strictly speaking an indirect antioxidant–meaning instead of neutralizing free radicals it boosts the body's natural antioxidant enzymes–it is still a key player in the fight against oxidative stress. Applied topically, Vitamin A speeds up the turnover of surface skin cells and boosts collagen, which in turn improves skin tone and texture and reduces fine lines and wrinkles.

Our Vitamin A Serum is formulated with 1% beta-carotene encapsulated retinol that is activated upon application, increasing skin cell turnover and stimulating collagen synthesis to improve the appearance of fine lines and diminish the appearance of dark spots.

Shop our line of dermatologist approved skincare in-store.

Vitamin C

The most studied antioxidant in skincare, vitamin C has multiple proven skincare benefits. A free radical scavenger, vitamin C defends against UV damage, reduces the appearance of dark spots and discoloration by blocking the overproduction of melanin and can help treat acne, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. Vitamin C has also been proven to stimulate collagen production.

Our Vitamin C Serum is formulated with a blend of vitamin C and alpha arbutin to provide powerful antioxidant protection and help to prevent UV-related damage, boost collagen production, brighten and correct dullness.

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Niacinamide

Although the mechanisms by which niacinamide (also known as vitamin B3) acts as an antioxidant are not completely understood, studies have shown that the topical application of this ingredient increases the antioxidant capacity of skin. Niacinamide has also been found to improve epidermal barrier function, decrease skin hyperpigmentation, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, decrease redness and improve skin elasticity.

Our Hyaluronic Acid Serum is formulated with niacinamide which, along with its anti-inflammatory properties, offers antioxidant protection, and supports skin barrier function which can help to reduce trans epidermal water loss. Niacinamide has also been found to inhibit the production of oil, which can benefit acne-prone skin.

Shop our line of dermatologist approved skincare in-store.