Exposure to harsh elements like UV rays, smoke and pollution can produce skin-damaging free radicals, which lead to lines, wrinkles and spots — and even harm the health of your skin. Fortunately, recruiting antioxidants — like alpha lipoic acid, coenzyme Q10 and green tea extract — into your skincare routine can help stave off some signs of aging and damage.
What are free radicals and antioxidants?
Every day, multiple enemies — such as UV rays, pollution, cigarette smoke, chemicals and other environmental aggressors — assault your skin. These are known as free radicals, and their molecular structure is extremely unstable.
Free radicals harm healthy cells by affecting oxygen and DNA needed for vital cell repair and regeneration processes. In fact, free radicals are known to cause skin damage, dryness, inflammation, wrinkles, lines, pigmentation problems and even skin cancer.
It’s impossible to completely avoid free radicals, but antioxidants can minimize their harmful impact on your skin. Antioxidants “neutralize the electrical charge and prevent the free radicals from taking electrons from other molecules,” reducing skin damage or cancer risk, according to the National Cancer Institute. But not all antioxidants are the same — different antioxidants provide different skin benefits.
Antioxidants are found in a variety of cleansers, sunscreens, lotions, creams and serums for different skin types. For maximum benefit, dermatologist Howard Murad, M.D., author of The Murad Method: Wrinkle-Proof, Repair and Renew Your Skin with the Proven 5-Week Program, advises applying topical antioxidant skincare products morning and evening. Free radicals and UV rays assault skin cell membranes throughout the day, so using antioxidants in the morning can help protect against this damage. Also, using antioxidants at night can aid in reducing damage incurred during the day.
Alpha lipoic acid
Basic background: You’ll find alpha lipoic acid in some foods, and it’s manufactured by our bodies. Because of its structure, alpha lipoic acid can easily enter skin cell membranes.
Alpha lipoic acid may be especially helpful in treating wrinkles. One small study found that a high concentration of alpha lipoic acid reduced mild-to-moderate wrinkles by up to 50 percent and fine lines were almost gone.
Also, it’s gentler than other wrinkle treatments, such as retinoids, which are typically irritating. So alpha lipoic acid can be applied around the delicate eye area.
Although it’s gentle, alpha lipoic acid still packs an effective punch. “It is 400 times stronger than vitamins E and C combined,” writes Elizabeth Adams Miller on the Web site LiveStrong.
How it may help your skin:
- Reduce inflammation.
- Assist in chemical processes, providing energy to cells.
- Diminish the look of scars.
- Stimulate collagen growth.
- Balance oil production levels and increase exfoliation of dead cells to prevent clogged pores.
- Retain good polyunsaturated fats necessary to keep skin healthy.
- Prevent cross-linking, a process that combines proteins to cause wrinkles.
Products that contain it:
Coenzyme Q10 (Co Q10)
Basic background: Also known as ubiquinone, coenzyme Q10 is found in cell membranes. Most Co Q10 produced naturally in our bodies is used by the heart to prevent cardiovascular disease. As a result, very little is available for the skin to use.
Also, Co Q10 production rates drop due to aging — especially after 30 — high stress levels and certain medications. Therefore, topical application helps ensure that skin receives enough of this protective antioxidant.
Co Q10 is mainly found in skin’s lower levels. “By the time the skin cells die and reach the stratum corneum, there is little ubiquinone left to contribute to skin’s defenses,” notes Dr. Murad. So skin becomes more vulnerable to free radical damage.
Coenzyme Q10 has greater stability than other antioxidants — especially vitamin C — and is less likely to break down, spoil or cause skin irritation. But unfortunately, “it’s also less effective,” writes Jennifer Tung, author of InStyle Getting Gorgeous.
How it may help your skin:
- Power mitochondria, skin cell structures that generate energy for cellular activity.
- Inhibit synthesis of collagenase, an enzyme that breaks down and damages collagen.
- Convert food into energy to be used by cells.
- Encourage new cell growth.
- Firm and smooth skin to reduce the look of lines and wrinkles.
Products that contain it:
Green tea extract
Basic background: Green tea leaves contain high levels of protective chemicals called flavanoids, catechins and polyphenols. This antioxidant is “over 100 times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more powerful than vitamin E at neutralizing free radicals,” according to Brooke Le Poer Trench in Allure.
But as with other antioxidants, green tea extract breaks down and undergoes oxidation when it comes in contact with light or air, making it ineffective, according to G Todorov, Ph.D., of the Web Site Smart Skin Care.
How it may help your skin:
- Promote healthy blood circulation and strong blood vessels.
- Moisturize skin.
- Decrease inflammation and redness.
- Provide additional UV protection when combined with sunscreen.
- Protect against skin cancer.
- Improve skin elasticity.
Products that contain it:
Antioxidants can help to boost your skin, particularly because they fight skin-damaging free radicals that are all around us. Stay tuned for part two on this topic — we’ll soon feature an article on three more antioxidants that can benefit your skin.
See also:
Vitamin C
Antioxidant Goodies in Dark Chocolate
Green Tea: A Bevy of Skincare Benefits