What do they all mean?

If you have been asking yourself this question, then you’ve come to the right place.

Oxidative stress is one major way by which our body ages, which is a fancy way of saying free radical harms.  

 

What are Free Radicals?

A free radical is a substance, molecule, or atom with unpaired electrons. Electrons like to be paired up. They are reactive, and they do want to get an extra electron and get a pair.

They’re so unstable that they’ll take an electron from anything around them to become stable. When a free radical takes an electron, the substance that loses the electron to the free radical becomes oxidized, which is why it’s called oxidative stress.

The substance that lost the electron used to have an even number, but now it has unpaired electrons. So, it’s reactive and will take another electron from another substance, and so on.

A series of reactions has now been active, most of the free radicals in living organisms contain oxygen, and they’re often called reactive oxygen species, or Ras. The most common free radicals in humans are superoxide and hydroxyl.

 

Free Radicals and Skin Damage 

Stealing electrons might not sound too bad, but during the process, you have the breaking and making of chemical bonds, which causes irreversible transformations in the structure and purpose of the substances. 

If you want these processes to occur, it’s a good thing. They are, in some cases, useful and in fact, essential to lots of things like free radical polymerization which is used to make most of the plastics that we use today. 

They’re also important in lots of biological processes. They are also the reason that benzoyl peroxide acne cream (affiliate link) works to kill acne bacteria, but if the free radicals form in the incorrect location at the wrong time, then they will retaliate with whatever they find around them in the skin. 

This means they are going to react with important substances like DNA, proteins, lipids, and these chain reactions will cause microscopic damage that’s eventually reflected when you see your skin like:

• Fine Lines.
• Wrinkles.
• Thinning Skin Pigmentation.
• Cancer. 

Free radicals are capable of causing inflammation and many other pathways and your skin that lead to damage like increasing matrix metalloproteinases production or MNPs.

These are enzymes that help to degrade collagen in our skin, the collagen that makes your skin plump and bouncy. So now we know how harmful free radicals are. 

 

Where Do They Come From? 

These free radicals might be generated because of regular biological processes like respiration where oxygen is used to break down food to give our bodies energy. 

A process we cannot avoid, but environmental activities like UV light from Sun pollution and smoking can increase the number of free radicals to form inside our body and these will all affect your skin. 

In your skin, UV (Ultraviolet) is particularly bad. Free radicals will build up inside your skin in under 15 min. of UV exposure and they’ll keep on being produced for about one hour. However, UVA and UVB can both cause free radical formation. UVA penetrates deeper into your skin which can cause deeper damage.

 

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How Can We Reduce Free Radical Damages?

There is a huge possibility that we can avoid these environmental factors. We can stop smoking and we can also reduce pollution in our cities. If we must avoid UV rays, then we have to stay in the shade or we can cover our skin with sunscreen and clothing.

In addition, we can also prevent free radical harm after they’ve been formed, and here’s where antioxidants come in. 

What Are Antioxidants and How Do They Work?

As we all know, an antioxidant is a substance that can neutralize free radicals. They are usually substances that are stable with unpaired electrons and so the moment free radicals take up their electron, a series of events will stop. 

Essentially, antioxidants are like shields or sponges that prevent free radicals from reacting with more vital biological molecules. 

Naturally, the body is high in antioxidants that can soak up these free radicals. There are antioxidant enzymes such as: –

• Superoxide Dismutase Catalase
• Glutathione Peroxidase

 

Also, there are smaller antioxidants such as: –

• Vitamin C
• E coenzyme q-10

 

So, these natural antioxidant systems that our bodies have evolved, can get overwhelmed if there are an excessive number of radicals. This is exactly the reason too many people try to supplement their bodies with extra antioxidants from so-called superfood supplements and skincare. 

It is debatable whether antioxidant supplements help. Clinical studies have gone both ways on this because it’s hard to control where the antioxidants go into the body. It is also possible for them to even do things like help keep unwanted cells like cancer cells alive. 

Luckily enough, healthy foods like vegetables and fruit, are high in antioxidants anyway. When it comes to skincare, it’s a lot less complicated. 

Since the skin is on the outside, it’s just a portion of your skin that gets too much exposure to environmental sources of free radicals especially UV radiation from the Sun. 

Antioxidant Ingredients That Work in Skin Care? 

You will find lots of antioxidants in skin care products but not all of them have studies to back them up like with any other skincare ingredient. 

Whether the antioxidants help or not will depend on whether they can get to the right place to work.

Below are some antioxidants with studies to back them up… 

Superoxide Dismutase & Cattle Aids:These mentioned above are antioxidant enzymes that are naturally present in your skin and catalyze and are also promising for helping prevent gray hair.

 

• Vitamin C or Ascorbic Acid.

Your cells have got a watery inside, the extracellular fluid surrounded by an oily cell membrane and in between the separate cells. There’s also a waterier liquid called extracellular fluid. Vitamin C is water-soluble and naturally found inside these watery compartments, (the extracellular and extracellular fluid) to help protect you from free radicals. 

 

• Vitamin C

This vitamin is also important for making collagen and works to reduce pigmentation. So, all these things make it a really good ingredient for aging and hyperpigmentation-prone skin.

 

• Pure Ascorbic Acid

This acid is the version that has the most proven benefits especially when it has to with antioxidant effects but the esters can potentially work this way, vitamin E also happens to be vitamin C’s oil-soluble counterpart and it’s also naturally found inside your skin in the oily parts like cell membranes coenzyme q10 or ubiquinol. 

This is an antioxidant with vital needs for energy production. Its levels decline with time, andit’s a popular heart-healthy vitamin even though it’s uncertain whether it’s effective. You can as well use antioxidants that aren’t commonly found inside your skin like plant antioxidants. 

Many plants today have developed to have potent antioxidants in them to help protect them from UV since they’re exposed to a lot more UV than organisms that can stand up and walk out of the Sun.

 

Some examples of plant tree oxidants are: –

• Polyphenols
• Flavonoids
• Isoflavones
• Attar silence

 

Some antioxidants that you’ll find in skincare have some studies to support them, like ferulic acid, which springs from cereal and is better at keeping vitamin C stable. You’ll find the three ingredients combined in too many products like Skin Ceuticals C E Ferulic and Paula’s Choice Vitamin C serum.

Green tea polyphenols are potent antioxidants, especially in the epic gala category. The gala has somewhere between 25 and 100 times the antioxidant ability compared to vitamins C and E. There are other antioxidant polyphenols inside tea such as epicatechin, epicatechin 3 gals 8, and epic Gallo catechin. 

The fresher and greener the tea, the more antioxidant content. And again, there are ways to help preserve the antioxidants in products. Resveratrol is another antioxidant that is commonly used in both skincare and nutrition. It’s contained in grape skins as well as red wine gene stein. Is an ISO flavor, an antioxidant that comes from soy products? 

 

You will find Lycopene (a red antioxidant) in lots of fruit like: –

• Tomatoes
• Watermelons
• Apricots 

 

Lots more antioxidants have not yet been tested in clinical trials but have had good results in vitro & animal studies.

You should remember that not all studies are well-conceived and can be biased, and things that work in vitro & animal studies might not work on human skin. Too much of it depends on the formulation of the product. 

So far, it has not been easy enough to work out exactly which products will be effective because so much depends on the production of the product and not just the active ingredients. 

We need to consider some factors including whether the antioxidant remains active inside the product until it is applied to the skin, whether the antioxidant penetrates the skin and gets to where it needs to be to work, and whether enough of the antioxidant penetrates to make a significant difference. 

Therefore, in case you have a lot freer radicals than antioxidants then it won’t make much of a dent in your skin damage. 

Unfortunately, there aren’t many reliable ways of measuring how antioxidants in a particular product are and there aren’t many studies on the effects of different formulations.

 

Picking The Right and Effective Products 

So, it’s hard to compare different products but while we wait for new research meanwhile, here are some guidelines that should increase your chances of getting effective products. 

 

The antioxidants that have the most proof to back them up are: –

• Vitamin C or ascorbic acid
• Vitamin E through Liq u acid
• Green tea polyphenols
• Coenzyme q10
• Ubiquinone

 

There is going to be your lifesaver. Mixtures of antioxidants usually work better. They are synergistic and they can help replenish one another. 

For example, a study was carried out some time ago and, in this study, a mixture of 15 percent of vitamin C and 1 percent of vitamin E protected the skin against UV damage, two times since vitamin C on its own, and adding folic acid to it will even help more. Applying antioxidants helps intercept free radicals from forming. 

So, before going out into the Sun, if you rub it afterward, antioxidants won’t have enough time to stop free radicals from attacking your skin. 

 

Best Antioxidant Skin Care Products 

SkinCeuticals C E Ferulic Serum

 

Skinceuticals CE Ferulic acid is the benchmark of antioxidant skin care products and is ideal for dry skin. This choice is also recommended by experts, who consider it to be one of the holy grails of topical vitamin C skincare serums. 

If you browse the internet, you will see that this serum has more than 10,000 reviews, with the majority praising it and some dubbing it the “holy grail.” 

Others, on the other hand, are less enthusiastic, claiming that it causes pilling when used with other products or that it does nothing for their skin.

 

Pros

• Soaks up rapidly
• Does not irritate
• Lightweight
• Brightening

Cons

• Unappealing aroma
• When applied, it’s a little sticky

La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C Face Serum

 

Salicylic acid, a renowned anti-acne, and a skin-softening exfoliant that can help minimize the appearance of big pores is included in this recipe, making it a great option for oily skin people. This serum also contains hyaluronic acid and glycerin, two substances that help to hydrate the skin. 

One disadvantage is that some people feel that taking salicylic acid with vitamin C will make it ineffective, but it’s unknown how the two interact in the same formula. As a result, the vitamin C inside this serum isn’t performing to its maximum capacity. 

This product is noncomedogenic (meaning it won’t clog pores) and it is oil and paraben-free, as well as scent-free, making it a good option for people with sensitive skin. You could use this serum on its own or mix it in with your regular moisturizer to get better effects.

 

Pros

• Fight wrinkles
• UV-protective
• Reduces skin pigmentation
• Deeply hydrates skin

Cons

• Smells metallic to some consumers
• If spilled, will leave orange stains
• Some ingredients may be allergic

Paula’s Choice RESIST Super Antioxidant Serum 

 

This serum, according to the manufacturer, can ease symptoms of aging and provide hydration to dry, heated skin, as well as aid with dull, uneven skin tone. It contains the type of vitamin C that Reed recommends for persons who are sensitive to L-ascorbic acid (tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate), making it an excellent choice for those with sensitive skin. 

It also contains coenzyme Q10, a well-known antioxidant that provides an additional layer of protection. Peptides and ceramides are also included in the composition, which is recognized for strengthening the skin’s barrier and restoring moisture. 

Overall, reviewers are pleased, claiming that it softens and soothes the skin, as well as reduces wrinkles and fine lines. Others complain that the thickness is overly thick, or maybe they experienced an allergic response or a breakout because of it.

 

Pros

• Moisturizing and replenishing
• Antioxidant-enriched
• Restores brightness
• Fight free radical

Cons

• Feels very oily
• Doesn’t absorb well
• Could not significantly fade dark spots

SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF with Ferulic Acid

 

This is a splurge-worthy vitamin C serum for daytime use. Because of its reputation and performance, SkinCeuticals is on our list several times. This one offers superior environmental protection as well as the ability to diminish the appearance of fine wrinkles and discoloration. 

This recipe contains the above-mentioned powerhouses: 0.5 percent ferulic acid and 10% L-ascorbic acid (the purest vitamin C). However, it also contains phloretin, which, in addition to its preventive properties, has been shown to help with indications of early aging as well as hyperpigmentation.

This serum is free of parabens, perfumes, and dyes and is suitable for oily, normal, and combination skin types.

Pros

• Reduce free radical damage
• Reduced discoloration
• Improves skin tone
• Enhances skin’s texture

Cons

• It’s not very hydrating
• Moisturizing only a little
• Contains Denatured Alcohol

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

 

It is called “The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%” because it contains two powerful antioxidants—Zinc and Niacinamide—along with the fact that it is very affordable. 

This is especially beneficial for acne sufferers, as zinc also aids in the reduction of excess oil & sebum production in the skin. It is also essential for shrinking the pores and can aid in texturing ish. The cost is unbelievable. 

This product is cruelty-free and is created without the following ingredients: Alcohol, nuts, gluten, oil, parabens, silicone, sulfates, and mineral oil.

The major disadvantage is that the high niacinamide concentration might induce a tingly/burning sensation that some reviewers dislike. The higher concentration may potentially be too much for those with sensitive skin.

 

Pros

• Inexpensive
• Reduces under-eye circle
• User-friendly
• Vegan/cruelty-free

Cons

• Might make you break if used all over the face.

CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum

 

Because retinol is a vitamin A derivative, it is classified as an antioxidant. Isn’t it cool? It features enclosed retinol, which is meant to provide all of retinol’s wonderful advantages with a gentler application. 

This retinol also includes niacinamide, an antioxidant that reduces inflammation, prevents oxidative damage, improves the epidermal protective barrier, and minimizes skin hyperpigmentation. According to a study, it also helps to clear up acne. It’s difficult to find a bad review for this. 

Reviewers who have acne-prone or sensitive skin report seeing results quickly. To top it off, this solution is noncomedogenic, light, and quick to absorb.

 

Pros

• Adds enough moisturizer
• Leaves wrinkle-free complexion

Con

• Unable to resurface and lighten the skin

La Roche-Posay Anthelios AOX Daily Antioxidant Serum SPF 50

 

The vitamin C in this water-based serum (ascorbyl glucoside) is said to be extremely stable. It also contains vitamin E, which adds even more stability. Fine wrinkles, uneven texture, and dark spots are all addressed by these superstars working together. 

Scutellaria baicalensis root extract and other antioxidants are said to lighten skin. According to reviewers on a range of hubs we looked at, this product is lightweight, layers nicely with other lotions, and doesn’t leave a white cast. They also claim that it can help with breakouts and dark areas. 

The container is too small, according to the most common criticism. It’s non-comedogenic and suitable for all skin types, which we adore. You can wear it alone, with a moisturizer, or under makeup if you like. We are big fans of choices. 

Pros

• It is lightweight
• Absorbs quickly
• Leaves no matte or shiny finish
• High sun protection

Con

• The quantity is too small per price

Evercalm Redness Relief Serum

 

The Evercalm collection from REN CLEAN SKINCARE is devoid of recognized allergens and potentially harmful substances, making it ideal for those whose skin is prone to redness, blotchiness, excessive dryness, and irritation. 

The Evercalm Redness Alleviation Serum is a fast-acting treatment that is constructed with white extract solution as well as a defense complex of beta-carotene & saccharide to fortify your skin’s valuable moisture barrier, 

prevent pollution and relieve the indications of dryness and unpleasantness. The soothing serum is made up of various natural oils and botanical extracts, as well as antioxidant vitamin E. Wizemann further points out that. It absorbs quickly, my skin appears less red, and mitigates the effects of burning and pain overall.”

Pros

• All-Natural Ingredients 
• Soothed irritated Skin

Cons

• Antioxidant protection may not be as effective.

TimeWise Replenishing Serum C+E

 

You’ve probably come across research and findings promoting the individual antioxidant properties of vitamin C and vitamin E when looking for free radical-fighting antioxidants. Did you know, however, that employing a mixture of antioxidants produces better effects than using a sole antioxidant?

Vitamin E is depleted as it battles free radicals that cause damage. It receives a boost of vitamin C in this rockstar serum, which rekindles its age-fighting ability in a dynamic replenishment cycle. Vitamin C contributes to skin radiance and an even complexion by reducing irregular skin tone and discoloration. 

This special blend contains three different sources of vitamin C to provide your skin with the age-defying power and antioxidant-rich ability it needs. The multifunctional power of navy bean extract was exploited by Mary Kay scientists to develop this serum as a great skin saver. 

This groundbreaking substance has been demonstrated to aid in the reduction of discoloration on the skin’s surface as well as the appearance of even-toned skin generally. Use this patent-pending solution daily to see skin that is brighter, firmer, and more radiant.

 

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Pros

• Scientist-proven antioxidants
• It firms and brightens the skin
• Reduces fine lines

Cons

• The new formula may not smell good.

SkinCeuticals Metacell Renewal B3

 

Metacell Renewal B3 is a mild, moisturizing moisturizer that enhances skin laxity and helps to extend the effects of a Chemical Peel or Laser therapy. To address early indications of photoaging, Metacell Renewal B3 uses a patent-pending aqueous solution to offer a 5% niacinamide (vitamin B3) concentration, a firming tripeptide concentration, and 15% pure glycerin. 

While photoaging indicators vary in intensity depending on skin biology, lifestyle, region, sun protection behavior, and skincare routine, they have a cumulative effect, giving the impression of premature aging. 

This daily emulsion significantly improves the appearance of wrinkles and surface flexibility by promoting cell renewal to resurface the skin, helping reclarify and level skin tone, and enhancing the appearance of wrinkles.

Pros

• Suitable for all skin types
• Reduces wrinkles in a measurable way

Cons

• It is expensive

Conclusion

Antioxidant serums, such as vitamin C serums, may help prevent you from free radical damage while also assisting with acne, oxidative stress, and hyperpigmentation – based on your choice of serum, of course. The above-mentioned serums indeed seem to be on the pricey side, but most users confirm their prices per their quality. That is not-withstanding, there are a few more budget-friendly, reliable choices available. Ensure to patch test first before you start glowing.