AntiAging: Understanding Topical Antioxidants: How Anti-Aging Skin Nutrients Work -

Understanding Topical Antioxidants: How Anti-Aging Skin Nutrients Work

AntiAging:

Ever wonder what the largest organ in your body is? Guess again... it's your skin. Often called, the "third kidney", your skin performs many important physiological functions and is extremely susceptible to free radical damage. Often under appreciated, your skin needs nourishing with antioxidants from the inside and outside to function optimally and stay healthy.

Free Radicals
Our bodies are under continuous attack by free radicals, extremely reactive molecules produced by our environment and our bodies that damage cells and tissues. Signs of aging like wrinkles, pigmentation, sagging are all attributed to Free Radical damage. On the inside, free radical damage is implicated in various diseases including cancers, degenerative diseases, and inflammatory illnesses as well as the aging process itself .

Antioxidants
Our body has a natural defense mechanism to protect itself from the danger of free radical attack: antioxidants. Antioxidants are specific vitamins, minerals, or nutrients that inactivate free radicals before they can damage cells. Hundreds of antioxidants exist; some, such as Alpha Lipoic Acid, the body produces whereas others, such as vitamins E and C, we must consume. They each function slightly differently but work together synergistically to keep the body and skin healthy.

Antioxidants and Skin
The skin is constantly exposed to free radicals produced by harmful pollutants in the environment and, most significantly, UV light. To maintain healthy, youthful skin we must ensure that our skin has enough antioxidants to adequately protect itself. We can deliver these antioxidants to our skin through diet, supplements, and topical products.

Simply consuming natural foods, vitamins, and supplements will not benefit the skin: topical antioxidants are essential. Internal supplementation improves the levels of antioxidants in skin cells, but research now shows that topical application delivers these important nutrients to the skin much more quickly . Science has concluded with clinical research that antioxidants used on the skin offer protection from UV damage, certain types of cancer, and reduce inflammation.

Topical Antioxidants
Topical formulations contain many different antioxidants: choose a combination for your skin. Some are stronger than others and many offer additional health benefits. Vitamins C and E, two well-known antioxidants, are both essential for skin health. Additionally, vitamin C stimulates collagen synthesis, and vitamin E provides excellent hydration benefits. Astaxanthin, a super-antioxidant, is harvested from micro-algae in Hawaii and is 500 times more powerful than vitamin E. Pycnogenol®helps on sensitive skin, inflammed skin, or even Rosacea .

These topical antioxidants, as well as others, will protect your skin and optimize skin health, but choose topical products carefully. Look for products that have effective concentrations of these important antioxidants and avoid products that contain potentially harmful ingredients such as mineral oil, petrolatum, and parabens.

Sondra Miles has a BS in Brain and Cognitive Sciences with a minor in Chemistry from MIT. She writes extensively on natural skin care, topical antioxidants and skin botanicals and is a member of the Research and Development team at derma e® Natural Bodycare. For a free sampler pack and catalog of derma e® products visit www.dermae.com/samples .