Antioxidants: What ARE They?

Doctors, the media and every health guru in the world is proclaiming the magical health benefits of antioxidants.  They are the foundation of revolutionary natural and organic skin care.  You might be excited, but wondering: What IS an antioxidant?  How do antioxidants help my skin and overall health?

So, there is this process called aging.  We all try to avoid it, cover it up, ignore it, but it is something that every living organism goes through.  Aging happens.  A big proponent in aging is a physiological process called oxidation.  Oxidation is normal.  It can be caused by metabolism, aerobic respiration and inflammation.  Oxidation happens everyday and the body's natural antioxidant systems repair the damage.

However, there are these nasty little guys called free radicals.   Free radicals are chemically active atoms that contain too many or too little electrons.  They try to steal from or deposit electrons to other atoms, messing up other atom's natural chemistry.   When free radicals contain oxygen, they are commonly known as reactive oxygen species (ROS).  These ROS are the biological free radicals that attack the body, damaging DNA, cells and protein structures.  As we age, this damage accumulates, and sometimes the damage is more than our bodies can handle.

This is where antioxidants come into play.  Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, making them harmless biological structures.  It is believed that these substances can even prevent free-radical damage.  There are many sources of antioxidants in natural plants known as "super foods".  These super foods include food rich in Vitamins A, C and E, blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, blackberries, acai berries, goji berries (pretty much all berries), cacao (dark chocolate), pomegranate, pecans, artichoke hearts, and red beans among others.

How can antioxidants help your skin?  Effects of free radicals are wrinkles, fine lines, sun damage, hyperpigmentation and even acne.  Your skin is a sponge.  It absorbs and uses everything you apply.  The skin, and your body recognize food and botanical ingredients before chemicals.  If you apply something the skin recognizes immediately, like these super food derived antioxidants, the skin will help them attack and prevent free radical damage.  It is natural and effective, and quite possibly the most amazing way to treat and nourish your skin.

Recommended:  DeVita's Vitamin C Serum and Optimal Rejuvenation Serum, Tata Harper's Rejuvenating Serum, Clovertree Blueberry Micro-Refining Skin Polish, Jurlique's Herbal Recovery Antioxidant Gel Mask and Juice Beauty's Stem Cellular Repair Booster Serum