What is an Antioxidant?

It is a buzzword that we are accustomed to hearing all the time. But do you know what antioxidants actually do in our skin? 

Here’s the scoop…in our skin there is a little battle going on. This battle is because we are constantly being exposed to troublesome little molecules that want to damage our DNA. These molecules are called free radicals. Common things that generate free radicals in our skin are things like UV radiation from the sun, smoking, and pollution.

Free radicals are missing an electron…but the problem is that electrons like to be in pairs. So free radicals try to steal electrons from important structures in our cells like DNA. This process is called oxidation and it makes the DNA unstable.

This is where antioxidants come into play. Antioxidants are molecules that are willing to donate an electron to the free radical to stabilize it. That way the free radicals stop stealing electrons from important structures in our skin. I like to think of antioxidants as the ultimate peacemakers. They are like “Ok you can have my electron…just leave the DNA alone.” 

So that’s how antioxidants work. I hope you now understand how important they are in your skincare regimen. To get the best results out of your skincare regimen, make sure to include products that contain antioxidants in your daily routine.