Antioxidants vs Free Radicals
With exposure to different climate influences and other factors we face on a daily basis it is imperative that we understand what free radicals are and how antioxidants work to prevent free radical damage to our skin and cells.
Let us explore the rise of antioxidants and their importance in skincare starting with two questions…
- WHAT ARE FREE RADICALS? Free Radicals are molecules missing an electron. They harm cells that they encounter as they try and grab that missing electron and in the process either kill or damage the cell causing the cell to go and hunt for an electron elsewhere, causing more and more damage through this cascading event.
- WHAT ARE ANTIOXIDANTS? Antioxidants supply that missing electron freely back to the free radical – making them inactive again and in the process of doing that they counteract what the free radicals are doing in that the free radical no longer have to hunt for the electron
How do we get free radicals?
UV damage, fluorescent light, computer screens, mobile phones, coffee, alcohol, cigarettes, pollution, car fumes and just living causes damage resulting in cells losing an electron and become a free radical.
The healthier we live the better.
Antioxidants come in three different forms:
- The first antioxidant wraps themselves around the cell wall and act as a protective barrier around the cell wall – like a coat of armour. Vitamin C is such an antioxidant that protects as well as strengthening the cell wall.
- The second type of antioxidant works like a moat around a castle – it is a little bit further away from the cell, but still surrounds it.
- The third type of antioxidant is the hunters and gatherers going out searching for free radicals and help in that way.
Antioxidants also come in different strengths.
Some fast, strong, and powerful and others work slower, but can go for longer. Below we just mention a few of the important antioxidants that are very important to our skin health.
- Vitamin C – strong, fast, powerful, packing a punch, acts quickly in the skin, but lasts only about 12 – 18 hours in the skin. It can hand out a lot of these electrons fast. Like sprinters. It is essential for the production of new collagen. The new fibroblasts that are made in the dermis need Vitamin C and Iron to turn them on. It is their power source. If you don’t have Vitamin C in your skin the new fibroblasts will not initiate and therefore new collagen will not be produced.
- Alpha Lipoic Acid can replenish Vitamin C to prolong their working, but Vitamin C will still just last a short time in the skin. Alpha Lipoic is a manufactured antioxidant which is 98% biomimetic (our skin will except it very readily) with our skins. It is water and oil soluble which is very important. Alpha Lipoic can go anywhere in the skin in any direction. The Stratum Corneum with the dead skin cells keeps things out and we have an acid mantle that also keeps things out as well.
Our skin is set up in three layers – water/oil/water. There are not many things that can penetrate through oil and water. Alpha Lipoic however can go in any direction providing antioxidant coverage throughout the entire epidermis and all the way into the dermis. It is also a carrier that will carry other ingredients with it through the epidermis.
It also has the unique ability to power up other vitamins like Vitamin C and A.
- Vitamin A – in the form of retinal is a weak antioxidant but released slowly and steadily. It is the long-distance runner of the antioxidant world and can be stored by the body.
It is the repair vitamin and is fantastic at getting into the cell and repairing damage.
Vitamin A can take DNA and change it so that the cell functions differently. It can tell a cell to become a fibroblast which in turn can manufacture collagen.
Free radical in a cell is called ROS which can really do great damage to a cell. We want Vitamin A, because it can get in and repair these damaged cell – they combat ROS and does it very effectively.
It also is a gate keeper to stop inflammatory response from melanin stimulating hormone (MSH) from turning on tyrosinase inside a melanocyte,
It stops the inflammatory response from affecting the melanocyte and is a powerful tyrosinase inhibitor and has a brightening effect
- Teprenone, Alpha Lipoic, Niacinamide are all medium strength that last longer than Vitamin C in the skin, but does not last as long as Vitamin A – like middle distance runners.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B₃) is a multifunctional antioxidant and found mainly in and around the surface of the skin, but also work around the Stratum Spinosum. It is best known for its powerful ability to help recreate and repair a damaged barrier function. It works in controlling the amount of oil in the Stratum Corneum and the function of how that oil is produced in the hair follicle and it is very important in fighting the formation of new pigment.
- Vitamin E is an old-fashioned antioxidant with a slow action and a good emollient. Vitamin E reignites Vitamin A and Vitamin C and is a workhorse day in and day out. It is a fantastic antioxidant.
- Kojic Acid – tyrosinase inhibitor as well as an antioxidant
- Resveratrol – tyrosinase inhibitor as well as an antioxidant
Antioxidants are vital to us and the more we have in the skin the less free radical damage we will have.
Each molecule with an antioxidant action has its function in certain sites and therefore, the association of these molecules, in smaller doses, seems to be more efficient.
High concentrations may NOT always be the best
Remember…
Our goal is to lengthen and optimise the years of healthy, functional living by preventing common diseases. More and more scientific studies providing the effectiveness of topical as well as oral antioxidants…not only with the fight against free radicals causing ageing, lines, and wrinkles, but also reducing inflammation and preventing disease
RESTORE YOUR SKIN HEALTH WITH ANTIOXIDANTS
