Antioxidants - what you need to know to make the most of them
At Reset we’re are all about optimal skin health that will give you the confidence to do those things that make you feel alive … your reset!
One of the biggest skin care weapons that will help you achieve optimal skin health is antioxidants. Just as important as consuming antioxidants internally, using antioxidant-rich products externally are a must-have every time you care for your skin. But do you know why and are you making them available to your skin when it needs them the most?
What are antioxidants and free radicals?
Here’s the gist: skin cells consist of oxygen molecules, each containing an even number of electrons, a pair. As we go about our day, things such as UV light, pollution, lack of sleep, as well as our natural ageing process, can consume or remove electrons from the molecules in your skin in a process known as oxidation. When this happens, unpaired electrons are left which are known as free radicals. A free radical is a molecule that has at least one unpaired electron and desperately wants to pair it up.
These toxic by-products then react with just about anything they come into contact with (which is why they’re also known as Reactive Oxygen Species/ROS), including DNA, lipids in cell membranes and other vital skin structures. This leaves them damaged, often triggering inflammation and weakening the skin matrix (cells and tissues).
This is where antioxidants come into play. While oxidation is something we can’t entirely stop, antioxidants can hugely limit the damage and chain reaction of free radicals by donating an electron to a free radical without becoming one itself. Antioxidants are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that neutralise free radicals and protect the skin from damage. This is why they play a very important preventative role in healthy skincare routines and keeping skin health dilemmas like acne, rosacea and premature ageing at bay.
As well as their free-radical fighting abilities, there’s a whole spectrum of benefits to be gained from using antioxidants in your skin care routine. Depending on the antioxidant, some can calm inflammation, brighten your skin & promote a more even skin tone, help firm the skin (Coenzyme Q-10 is great for this), reduce the appearance of fine lines by pluming skin cells, and reduce the appearance of scar tissue or previous damage by helping to encourage the growth of new cells.
Consistency and variety are key!
But there’s more to this antioxidant story. Firstly, a constant dose of antioxidant-rich products is important. It’s not good enough to be applying after the damage has already occurred (ie. after too much sun/blue light/pollution exposure). The key is to have your antioxidant defence mechanisms armed and ready in high volume to neutralise any toxic free radicals as they occur to prevent a state of oxidative stress, and protect the collagen and other cells within the skin’s architecture. Antioxidants are your skin’s armour!
And secondly, it’s also important to obtain your antioxidant dose topically through a variety of types, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, lutein and other phytonutrients – just as you wouldn’t rely on eating one vegetable to provide your body’s needs internally.
Our Reset formulations
Each Reset formulation is created with antioxidants as a primary check box – to ensure the ingredients provide a rich variety. The other important factors in terms of antioxidants that play a vital role in our formulations and the ingredients we use are stability and absorption. In Quaintrelle, for example, we use a vitamin C ester rather than a water-based vitamin C as it is known to be more stable and easily absorbable. While it’s hard to pick out just a few of our botanicals and ingredients that are rich in antioxidants (as we have included so many), some example standouts include coenzyme Q10, Tasmanian Mountain Pepper Leaf (which has an ORAC score of 3200 compared to 585 for vitamin E!), native hibiscus/rosella, rhodiola, sea buckthorn, pomegranate, prickly pear, sage, kangaroo paw, turmeric and more. Check out the full ingredient lists for Reset Barrier Balm and Quaintrelle Revival Serum.
Further reading:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4737275/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4496685/