ENVIRONMENTAL SKIN DAMAGE IS SILENT!
Antioxidants must be part of your skin care routine the entire year.
Antioxidant is a substance that inhibits oxidation, for our skin, antioxidants are especially used to counteract the deterioration of and prevent damage to our skin.
Antioxidants are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals—like vitamins A, C, E, and green tea—that protect your skin against free radicals. While free radicals sound like a bad name for a rock band, but they’re actually molecules in the environment that damage your skin by clinging to your collagen and weakening elasticity and attacking the cells. “They come from things like air pollutants, chemicals, and cigarette smoke, and they basically suck the life out of your face,” says dermatologist Mona Gohara, M.D., associate clinical professor at Yale University.
Antioxidants neutralize free radicals to protect your skin from damage, but that’s not all: Some antioxidants also brighten your skin, calm irritation, and even smooth fine lines—as long as you choose the right ones.
-Vitamin C (i.e. L-ascorbic acid), is pretty much the ultimate antioxidant for waking up tired-looking skin. It calms and hydrates your skin, and similar to retinol, it boosts your collagen production to tighten fine lines and smooth uneven skin.
Vitamin C has great brightening powers: Over the course of 6-8 weeks vitamin C can also lighten hyperpigmentation and dark spots and brighten your overall complexion for a fresher younger looking complexion.
-Vitamin A is actually the same thing as retinol—or, rather, retinol is just concentrated vitamin A. There is a natural derived Vitamin A from botanicals such as the one from Rosehip that has proven to be one of the most effective natural extracts against aging, skin damage, dehydration, oily skin and acne.
-Vitamin E (a.k.a. tocopherol) is excellent for everything and everyone. It’s the popular antioxidant, because it does a little bit of everything, without being too intense. It’s a natural anti-inflammatory, a strong shield against free radicals and premature aging, and a pro at keeping skin soft and supple, which is key for preventing scar formation, and it’s even more powerful against free radicals when combined with vitamin C (Super Vitamin Serum).
-Ferulic acid, repairs sun and environmental damage.
Ferulic acid is an antioxidant with benefits on its own, but it really shines when combined with vitamin C. Together, the two work synergistically to defend against and repair environmental and sun damage in skin.
ANTIOXIDANT BENEFITS
1) Antioxidants can reduce inflammation
Free radicals and inflammation go hand-in-hand. But thanks in part to that close connection, antioxidants can actually reduce inflammation as they neutralize free radicals. They may also interfere with the pathways that lead to chronic inflammation in the skin, soothing redness, diminishing flakiness, and other signs of inflamed skin.
2) Antioxidants can help prevents signs of aging
Chronic inflammation is closely tied to signs of aging that there’s a new term for it: “inflammaging.’” But antioxidants can help in mitigating oxidative stress and calming inflammation throughout the skin, antioxidants may slow down those resultant wrinkles, lines, and hyperpigmentation. Their presence can be important in terms of sun exposure, too. While sunscreen is the best first-line defense, antioxidants can intercept free radicals from any sunlight that may sneak by.
3) Antioxidants can help treat acne
Given the growing body of evidence around the effect of antioxidants on inflammation, it is no surprise that antioxidants are increasingly being used to treat inflammatory skin conditions like acne. Not only do acne-prone people show signs of increased oxidative stress systemically — including lower blood levels of antioxidant vitamins like A and E — but also that oxidative stress may trigger a wave of inflammation that ultimately fuels breakouts. In minimizing this oxidative stress, antioxidants put a stop to it. (That also explains the promising link between antioxidants and cystic acne.)
4) Antioxidants can help treat rosacea
Antioxidants are similarly beneficial when treating rosacea, another inflammatory skin condition that causes blemishes, facial redness, visible blood vessels, and sensitive, dry skin. Rosacea is linked to damage caused by UV and oxidative stress, which explains why some of the most effective agents in combating the disease are those that offer anti-inflammatory properties. In fact, the efficacy of certain antibiotics in the treatment of rosacea may result from their antioxidant effects.
5) Antioxidants can help brighten your skin
UV exposure can increase the production of melanin in skin, leading to sun spots, dark spots, and other forms of hyperpigmentation. Since antioxidants serve as the backup to your sunscreen, they can help keep your skin tone bright and even. Not only do they stymie the free radicals that kickstart the production of pigment, but certain ones, such as vitamin C, actually halt the process entirely.
6) Antioxidants can help moisturize your skin
Some antioxidants have properties that go far beyond neutralizing free radicals. Some, such as vitamin E and niacinamide, even double as a moisturizing agent and can even bolster the skin’s protective moisture barrier.
7) Antioxidants can help prevent sunburn
Think of a sunburn: red, sore to the touch, and flaky. Those are all the hallmarks of inflammation, which explains why anti-inflammatory antioxidants can help prevent sunburns in addition to the unseen cellular damage. If you know you’ll be spending an afternoon outdoors, pair your sunscreen with an antioxidant treatment for the best possible protection.
4) Ferulic acid for repairing sun damage
Ferulic acid is an antioxidant with benefits on its own, but it really shines when combined with vitamin C. Together, the two work synergistically to defend against and repair sun damage in skin.
5) Vitamin E for moisturizing and healing
Beyond being a powerful antioxidant, vitamin E is beloved for its ability to nourish skin and promote healing. It also maintains skin barrier function, which in turn allows skin to better retain
moisture.
RECOMMENDATION: LUXU SUPER VITAMIN SERUM
A balance diet of fruit and vegetables that contain antioxidants boost your defenses inside out.
To your beauty and to your health!
The Luxu Team