Want to know which anti-aging ingredient should be number one on your list? You’ve come to the right place!
Antioxidants don’t get enough praise, they sort of get pushed aside to make space for more trendy ingredients. The truth is, antioxidants are one of the most powerful anti-ageing ingredients around. In order to understand why antioxidants are so incredible, we first need to chat about the environment, free radicals and the damage that they cause to the skin.
We all know that our environment is incredibly harsh on our skin especially exposure to excessive pollution and UV rays but the biggest culprit of them all are free radicals. These pesky little atoms contain an odd number of electrons and so they float around looking for their long lost partner – often found in our skin.
Once the grab on, not only can they cause our cells to change significantly, but they can also trigger oxidative stress. Generally speaking, the body can handle free radicals on its own, but when the load is excessive, it buckles under the pressure and that’s when oxidative stress happens. The result of this can cause damage to the protein fibres in the skin which can cause slacking, loss of elasticity and bounce in the skin. Basically it ages you.
So, how do we make sure that our skin doesn’t suffer oxidative stress? Quite simply; by ensuring that antioxidants are part of our everyday skincare regime. Antioxidants are the hero ingredients that fight off free radicals, ensuring that your skin’s protein bonds remain strong and your skin stays firm.
So where exactly can you find antioxidants – what should you be looking for on your product labels? Here are our top 4 antioxidants, in no particular order:
1. Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid: great for building collagen and tissue repair but also incredible if you suffer from pigmentation. If you’re looking for something anti-ageing and will help to reduce your dark marks, make sure to pick up a product with a good dose of vitamin C.
2. Ceramides, particularly Ceramide 3 is particularly beneficial and has been shown to be deficient from aging, dry and eczema-prone skin. Ceramides make up roughly 47% of the skin barrier lipids and their role is to optimize the skin barrier, retain moisture, control inflammation and to naturally fight infection. This has been a major focus of mine for many years and it is why I have included this one ingredient in all of my TrueLipid Sensitive Skin Care Products.
3. Glycyrrhetinic Acid, also known as Licorice Root: used in eastern medicine for thousands of years, liquorice root is an incredible antioxidant. In fact, it is more powerful than blueberries holding 20 times its weight! It may not seem like an ingredient that would be very commonly found in skincare products, but major brands are cottoning onto how incredible liquorice root is, so definitely keep your eyes peeled.
4. Apple Cider Vinegar, if you prefer to go the more natural route, then this ingredient is for you. Apple cider vinegar slows down aging by maintaining the stability of the acid-based balance in our bodies and skin, it also neutralizes them and helps to reduce inflammation. A good one if you have sensitive skin. Our newest line of products TrueCider, uses Apple Cider Vinegar to balance your skin’s pH and gently cleanse your skin.
Now that you know all about antioxidants and why they are so essential to your skin’s health, can you think of a good reason NOT to incorporate them into your skincare regime? Didn’t think so.