Antioxidants – Vitamins for skin

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Vitamins in Skin Care – one vital step to slow the aging process!

What are antioxidants? They are chemicals that are able to “fill the gap” in free radicals (damaged cells) without harming themselves. They stop the chain of events that has caused your cells to become dysfunctional ensuring you look younger for longer with more hydrated, healthier skin. Antioxidants simply assist in you looking younger for longer!

Where do they come from?

Your body manufactures its own antioxidants but, in today’s world and with today’s expectations, we need more than our body can provide. Not just for our skin but throughout our body – for good health. Recently, science has shown that the nutrients in today’s fresh food are a tiny percentage of the nutrients found in the same food 50–60 years ago. This is a horrifying thought. When we then look at how the largest organ of the body receives only 2–3% of the antioxidants that enter via our mouth, we can see that adding topical serums to our skin is the way to improve its health; i.e. we bypass the oral route. By doing it this way, the body and the skin don’t need to work so hard, and the nutrients go directly to where they are needed and where the damage actually is.

But isn’t the skin waterproof?

It’s all about the delivery system and how each ingredient is absorbed into and through the top layers. If the relevant vitamins (antioxidants) are chirally correct, they don’t need chemicals to help them travel deeper and they therefore can be more effective, and yet purer and safer for your skin with absolutely minimal side effects.  Ingredients in these products are designed to do their work at a deeper level and are wrapped to be carried through the epidermis to the basal layer (where they need to be) just above the dermis. On reaching this junction they “pop out”, with each ingredient getting to work to do whatever job it was sent there for. The result you feel might be a little initial tingling; the result you see in the long term will be a well hydrated skin functioning to its optimum.

What you don’t want being carried through to these deeper areas is nasty chemicals that the cells have to work hard to eliminate. Chemicals such as these actually increase the rate your skin will age, so actively avoid them.

Can you have too much?

In today’s world I’d say – “NEVER”. The more you nourish your skin, the more it will benefit, giving it the ability to slow the aging process. It is essential to note that all the antioxidants in the world will not help if you don’t protect your skin from the harsh effects of the sun, pollutants and traumatic skin treatments. You should also reduce internal stresses such as smoking, alcohol, coffee, mind-stress, dehydration and a diet full of sugar and processed foods.

Are some antioxidants better than others?  

Yes and No. It depends on your skin, your age and your health.

The list of available ingredients is endless with most products having multiple antioxidants in their formulations, and each one of these will have a different job description. Vitamin A is the most powerful, as it has the ability to remodel the cell, but there are other alternatives. If your skin is extremely dehydrated and/or reactive or sensitive (as dehydrated skin often is), there are antioxidant formulations to assit in creating a skin ready to use a Vitamin A preparation.

Below I have given a short list of antioxidant products for specific skins. I believe everyone should use a topical Vitamin A if they wish to change their skin, and my recommendations for these can be found on the Vitamin A page. Vitamin C and B also need to be provided daily for normal functioning of the skin. All the kits contain at least one antioxidant serum.

Use your antioxidants twice daily, after cleansing and prior to moisturising, sunblock and make-up.

Recommended Antioxidant Products

Osmosis MD Antioxidants

• Replenish – contains all the major antioxidants suitable for all bar the most sensitive skins.

CosMedix antioxidants

• Affirm – firming serum for mature, drier skins.
• Pure C – crystals for more effective product penetration. Mix with Benefit Balance.
• Benefit Balance – a spray. For sun damaged skins. Add Pure C crystals daily.

Aspect Dr Antioxidants

• Redless – for dry, sensitive, rosacea, reactive skins. Very anti-inflammatory;  brilliant following DermaFrac and other treatments.
• Multi B Serum – for acne, combination skins to restore the surface pH and therefore excellent for dry inflammed skins.
• Active C – for everyone; especially sun damaged and acne.

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