WHY WE'RE 'PRO' ANTI-OXIDANTS, AND YOU SHOULD BE TOO.
In short, you're missing out if you're not including skincare's superheroes – anti-oxidants – in your morning and evening skincare regimes. The hardest working skincare ingredients in the glow-getting game, is anti-oxidants - an anti-ageing punch. They stop free radicals from having free rein while promoting a brighter, youthful complexion and telling fine lines that it's not 'fine' to take up residency on your well-cleansed, SPF-protected face.
So, what are anti-oxidants, and what do they do?
Anti-oxidants are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that protect your skin against free radicals, the molecules floating around like skin ageing assassins in the environment. Free radicals, present in air pollutants, chemicals and cigarette smoke, latch onto your precious collagen, compromising elasticity which leads to fine lines and, eventually, deep-set wrinkles. Anti-oxidants neutralise these free radicals, protecting your skin from the damage modern living throws at it. And, as we consider fighting free radicals anti-oxidants full-time job, assisting with hydration and inflammation is their side hustle.
Let's talk vitamins – A, B, C & E
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, retinol, and the retinoid family are potent anti-oxidants for stimulating collagen production. This group of anti-oxidants speeds up cell turnover, reduces the signs of ageing, treats breakouts, smoothens skin and targets age spots. It also delivers the best of both worlds – immediate and long-term effects.
Vitamin B3
Often referred to as niacinamide, Vitamin B3 is a true skin barrier booster due to the anti-inflammatory of this ingredient, making it great for treating acne and rosacea. It's also a team player in the anti-oxidant arena, boosting the performance of other anti-oxidants, retaining moisture levels, reducing pigmentation and ironing out fine lines.
Vitamin C
This fruit-derived favourite among those in the know in the aesthetics industry, Vitamin C is a natural skin brightener. Think of it like your skin's inner ring light. Like other anti-oxidants, it boosts collagen production, protects against free radicals and tightens the skin, restoring elasticity. The one 'con' of this anti-oxidant? Vitamin C can be an unstable molecule and lose its efficacy quickly if not stored correctly. So, be sure to keep your Vitamin C serums in cool, dark places like a drawer.
Vitamin E
Often overlooked but very much worth including in your skincare regime, Vitamin E is a healer – giving your skin a much-needed assist when it's feeling a bit battered by the elements or recovering post-procedure. That being said, give this one a skip if you're prone to breakouts, as vitamin E is less friend, and more foe, for acne-prone patients.
Spilling the tea on green tea extract
A skin immunity booster, green tea extract is a source of high amounts of antioxidants. The fact that it's packed full of plant polyphenols means its claim to fame is helping inflammation, particularly by preventing and repairing photodamage to the skin.
Reverse the effects of stress on your skin with Resveratrol
Sure, this anti-oxidant doesn't roll off the tongue quite as easily as the others, but it's as potent as the rest of them. Stemming from grapes, red wine, and some berries (among other sources), Resveratrol is antimicrobial. This means it has 'cancer-fighting' on its impressive resume and boasts a myriad of anti-ageing properties, fights oxidative stress and boosts the overall health of your complexion.
Ready to up the antioxidant ante?
Our online skin shop stocks a wide range of antioxidant-containing skincare options for whatever your skincare challenges or #skingoals. Take a look and add to cart or, to find out more, chat to your Skin Renewal therapist the next time you pop into one of our 18 branches nationwide.