The word antioxidant gets thrown all around the place especially in the skincare world, here is your guide on why your skin needs them & what to look out for!
First up,
Do you know why antioxidants are good for your skin?
Antioxidants are all about protecting the skin & reducing free radical damage. In turn, helping prevent:
They really pack a punch, don’t they!?
Now before you get too excited, sadly, not all antioxidants are created equally, especially within the skincare world. Here are 3 things you absolutely need to keep an eye out for:
1. Delivery system
Antioxidants are amazing but they can not do their job unless they have been delivered into your skin cells! In the clinic, we use Dermaviduals skincare which has an advanced delivery system for our antioxidant serums. They wrap the antioxidant in a liposome or nanoparticle which can deliver them deep into the skin.
2. Packaging
Antioxidants can oxidise and go rancid from oxygen & sunlight – These factors we take very seriously – all of our customised serums are created in dark glass amber bottles and our Dermaviduals antioxidant creams are made in a world-class aseptic laboratory.
3. Shelf Life
Have you got an old bottle of vitamin C serum in the back of your skincare cabinet? Always double-check the shelf-life of your products – once opened most antioxidants cannot stay stable for longer than 6-12 months. If you use an old or rancid product on your skin you can do more harm than good!
Here at Em’s Skin Boutique, we have a few particular antioxidants we have fallen in love with, these are our go-to’s and why!
Grape Seed Oil
This is the MOST potent antioxidant we have in our skin mixing bar!
We are talking 15-20 times more powerful than vitamin C and vitamin E
Its secret benefit is that it slows angiogenesis (AKA reducing capillaries/vascular matting)
Vitamin C & Vitamin E
These 2 antioxidants are the ultimate dream team!
When mixed together vitamin C helps reactivate vitamin E within the cell membrane
How cool is that?
This is why as Corneotherapists we study the chemistry of skincare! Understanding each ingredient is vital in helping out clients get the best results.
CoQ10, Caffeine & green tea
These 2 put a serious spring in your step, but more importantly, give your skin a serious energy kick!
Within each skin cell, there is a little powerhouse factory called the mitochondria which makes ATP (CELL ENERGY). CoQ10 and caffeine help boost this process & protect your cells DNA.
Think along the lines of anti-ageing (fine lines & wrinkles), UV protection & increased microcirculation (bye-bye dull skin tone!)
Vitamin A
In an ideal world, every client of ours would be using this antioxidant powerhouse!
BUT
Caution is needed! You don’t want to overdo or use it before your skin is ready otherwise disaster can strike. Always check with your skincare guru (Us!) first.
Now we don’t want to scare you because Vitamin A is the NUMBER 1 skin regenerator and normaliser, it plays a pivotal role in skin cell health.
Think along the lines of;
