One of the primary causes of skin deterioration is damage by free radicals. Free radicals have severe affects on the skin. To understand how exactly free radicals damage your skin, we would need to delve deeper into the chemical aspects of them.
What are Free Radicals?
We know that matter is made up of atoms and atoms are further comprised of neutrons, protons and electrons. While protons and neutrons are located inside the nucleus of the atom, electrons revolve around the nucleus in pairs. When these atoms bond together, molecules are formed. Stable molecules have a pair of electrons in their outermost shells. However, with time environmental stressors like pollution, UV rays of the sun, and carbon monoxide tend to react with the bodys molecules and cause them to lose one of the electrons from their shells. The remaining unpaired electron is responsible for all the damage.
The unpaired or ‘free’ electron in a bid to pair up steals an electron from the neighboring molecules and causes it to impair. This chain reaction further continues and disrupts the flow of all the body cells. These free radicals can attack just about any molecule be it the DNA, lipids or skin proteins. This damages the structures of cell membranes and causes them to malfunction. Thus free radicals promote premature aging and cause the formation of wrinkles and fine lines.
Antioxidants to fight Free Radicals
Antioxidants prevent and protect against the damage caused by free radicals. They directly get involved in the actions and stop the chain reaction before any serious damage is done. Thus free radicals are unable to break down the collagen and elastin fibers within the skin.
The most common and potent forms of antioxidants are Vitamin C, Vitamin E and beta-carotene to name a few. In addition there are a host of other exotic ingredients like green tea, rosemary, evening primrose and wheat germ oils that are being increasingly used in antioxidant based skin care products.
It is difficult to ascertain what the most effective antioxidant is. This is because all of them have the same functions and work to fend off free radical damage. However, a combination of antioxidants are always better at improving the skin condition than products containing only one antioxidant ingredient.
iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum is a revolutionary anti-aging formula that combines 15% Vitamin C, 1% Vitamin E and 1% retinol along with powerful antioxidants and olive leaf extracts. It heals the skin, improves its integrity, enhances the texture and prevents damage by the ultraviolet radiations of sunlight. It also has 0.5% of kojic acid that evens out skin pigmentation and prevents the occurrence of acne. The zinc sulfate further helps to reduce inflammation.
Obagi C-Exfoliating Day Lotion is an amazing exfoliating lotion that exfoliates the skin surface and improves the cell turnover ratio. Moreover, it keeps the skin well hydrated and protects it against sun damage. What sets it apart is that it exfoliates the outermost layer of the skin surface called stratum corneum and makes it possible for the active ingredients to get absorbed better. Also, the antioxidants neutralize the action of free radicals and prevent skin damage. Not only does it improve the skins texture but it also brightens the skin tone.
Obagi Professional C Serum 15 Percent contains 15% L-ascorbic acid, the only form of Vitamin C suitable for topical application. L-ascorbic acid penetrates effectively through the skin surface and begins work. It provides superior antioxidant protection that keeps free radicals damage in check. Apart from that it offers wide spectrum protection against the UV rays of sunlight.
Dr. Marilynn Syrett is a graduate from Western University of Health Sciences, College of Osteopathic Medicine Of The Pacific. She has a keen interest in studying the use and effectiveness of skin care products and acne treatments.