Focus of attention

The importance of antioxidants!

The skincare industry talks a lot about antioxidants and the importance of the including them to your daily skincare routine. But why are they necessary?

Free radicals are oxygen-containing molecules with an uneven number of electrons. The uneven number allows them to easily react with other molecules. Because free radicals lack a full complement of electrons, they steal electrons from other molecules and damage those molecules in the process.

How free radicals affect our body
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants in your body. Over time, oxidative stress can damage the body’s cells, leading to a range of diseases and causes symptoms of aging, such as wrinkles.

Antioxidants are molecules that can donate an electron to a free radical without making themselves unstable. This causes the free radical to stabilize and become less reactive.

While free radicals are damaging by their very nature, they are an inescapable part of life. The body generates free radicals in response to modern environmental insults, such as tobacco smoke, ultraviolet rays (UV-rays), and air pollution. Because free radicals affect our body throughout our day, are so pervasive, you need help from an adequate supply of antioxidants to disarm them.

While you can’t completely avoid exposure to free radicals, you can make lifestyle choices regarding diet, skincare, and environment to help keep your body in balance, and prevent damage and disease. There are thought to be hundreds and possibly thousands of substances that can act as antioxidants. Each has its own role and can interact with others to help the body work effectively.

What antioxidants can do for your skin
“Antioxidant” is a general term for any compound that can counteract unstable molecules called free radicals that damage DNA, cell membranes, and other parts of cells. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals by giving up some of their own electrons, as free radicals lack a full complement of electrons. In making this sacrifice, they act as a natural “off” switch for the free radicals. Although various parts of the body if affected by free radicals, our skin is the only part directly affected by UV-rays. 

Unfortunately, a high SPF protection won’t provide the desired protection and will never be able to insure 100 % skin and cell protection. Antioxidants are therefore necessary to fully protect the cells from free radical damage. Antioxidants can help prevent and correct these visible signs and give skin a more youthful glow.

Some of the most popular antioxidants in skincare:

  • Ascorbic acid – vitamin-C
  • Green tea
  • Resveratrol
  • Caffeine
  • Vitamin A and E
  • Ferulic acid
  • Niacinamide

The selection of concentrated antioxidants in Elixir:

Let’s summarize:

  1. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and protect our cells against inflammations, collagen degradation and uneven pigmentation.
  2. By using antioxidants, we maintain preferred cell renewal, moisture, elasticity, and fullness.
  3. The combination of sun protection and antioxidants efficiently protects the skin and counteracts damage and early signs of aging.
  4. We recommend sun protection and antioxidants throughout the year, especially in spring and summer!
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