Antioxidants: You Need Them!

We have all heard that antioxidants fight free radicals...but antioxidants do so much more than that for your skin. In order to really understand the role antioxidants play in skin care, we have to first talk about the science behind them.

WHAT ARE FREE RADIALS

Scientifically speaking, free radicals as molecules with unpaired electrons that try to steal electrons from other molecules. They are caused by both environmental and internal factors like climate, pollutants, sun radiation, harmful chemicals and toxic elements, smoking, metabolic changes and stress. When that happens, it damages your skin cells which leads to inflammation induced diseases and speeds up the aging process.

IN COME THE ANTIOXIDANTS

Antioxidants protect the body against free radicals by neutralizing them. They have the ability to give away one of their electrons to the free radical. Antioxidants are vital component to an effective skin care regime, but also for the body as a whole. Now we understand what antioxidants do and we also understand that free radicals attack us not only when we are outdoors, but literally all the time.

Your body naturally produces free radicals through natural metabolic processes. It also does produce antioxidants....but not enough. WE HAVE TO HELP IT.

Your body cannot produce enough antioxidants to fight off all free radicals. It needs help. We need to eat #antioxidant rich foods and apply topical antioxidants to help your skin.

ANTIOXIDANTS PROVIDE AN INCREDIBLE AMOUNT OF BENEFITS TO THE SKIN

Antioxidants are amazing at neutralizing free radicals, but they do so much more. They provide an incredible amount of benefits to the #skin. Visibly they can reduce, #redness, #inflammation, improve #pigmentation and #melasma, smooth skin texture, improve #skin tone/natural glow not dull, reduce scars-these can be acne scars that are pink or flatten raised scar, and plumps the skin.

What's happening inside the skin new #collagen is being produced and existing collagen is not broken down, reduction of overall damage to the skin, reduces the transfer of melanin to the melanocytes, and cellular turnover increases.

WHICH ANTIOXIDANTS TO LOOK FOR

Look for products that combine multiply #antioxidants together because they are STRONGER together. Different antioxidants actually help each other work better, for example vitamin c and e.

FAVORITIES

Some of my favorite antioxidants are vitamin C, E, and A. These are some of the most powerful. These are 3 products I love that contain these powerful antioxidants.

iS Clinical Pro-Heal Serum Advanced
15% vitamin c
Great for all skin types & acneic skin
A blend of vitamin a, c and e
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iS Clinical Genexc Serum
20% vitamin c 
Great for premature and aging skin
Formulated without vitamin a
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iS Clinical Super Serum Advanced
15% vitamin C
Great for all skin types
Formulated with brightening botanicals and firming ingredients
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I can't forget to mention, #resveratrol as another favorite antioxidant. I mean, it's found in wine.....who doesn’t love drinking that antioxidant! It is very powerful topically on the skin. Don’t forget that antioxidants not only repair damage, but they prevent future damage to the skin. And we are all about prevention here, don’t let it become a problem.

iS Clinical Copper Firming Mist
Great for all skin types
Antioxidant and firming properties
Blend of resveratrol, cooper and PCA
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WHEN TO USE THEM

So when should you incorporate antioxidants in your regime? 24/7 really! Free radical damage can happen to your skin not just in outside environments, but in indoors as well. When you are at home, even sleeping. It’s kinda happening all the time, not to scare you but free radicals are everywhere! As someone who is skin obsessed I’m scared. The good news is that antioxidants are added to so many skin care products, many people don’t even realize it. For example many sunscreens have vitamin e or even #niacinamide in them. Even #exfoliants many times incorporate vitamin e and c. At a bare minimum, use an antioxidant #serum in the morning, like a vitamin a, c, e, or just c, and e. If you are #pregnant and want to avoid all forms or vitamin a, but c and e can still be used.

HOW ANTIOXIDANTS HELP DIFFERENT SKIN CONDITIONS

Oxidative stress is the result of free radical damage to the skin. This damage causes pre mature aging of the skin. This is #aging that has nothing to do with your genetics, it’s aging caused by your environment. When this happens you start to see things like pigmentation, #dull/lackluster skin, #wrinkles, #sagging even skin conditions like #eczema, #acne and #psoriasis are caused by #oxidative stress. If you aren't sure which antioxidant product is right for you, schedule a 1 on 1 virtual consultation with me to discuss your skin care needs.♡