The trouble with most health-related information is that it’s filled with terminology that often goes over our heads. Case in point: antioxidants. You’ve heard the term, but what exactly are they? Antioxidants prevent free radicals — like pollution, toxins, and stress — from damaging your body and your skin.
When free radicals run amuck, skin gets irritated. Antioxidants stabilize the destructive atoms and reduce inflammation, so skin can repair itself. Unfortunately, lingering inflammation can lead to dark spots and wrinkles, so here are three antioxidants you should look for when choosing medical grade skincare.
Vitamin C
A glass of orange juice in the morning is a great way to start your day, but the vitamin C you ingest won’t benefit your skin the way a topical serum will. Vitamin C plays an important role in collagen production, so if firm, resilient skin is your goal, then make sure you have vitamin C in your skincare arsenal. While it can be found in everything from cleansers to creams, a product like Citrix CRS 15% L-Ascorbic Acid Serum will give you better results. L-Ascorbic Acid works best when the concentration is between 10 and 20%. Applied topically, it reduces dark spots, inhibits aging, and stimulates collagen production.
Green Tea Extract
If we told you that drinking green tea could protect your skin from the sun, you’d probably add it to your diet without question. Well, it’s true. Green tea has photoprotective properties, which means they can inhibit sun damage. While it is not a replacement for sunscreen, studies have shown that polyphenols, the chemicals found in green tea and other substances, soothe skin, calm inflammation, and reduce redness when used topically.
Resveratrol
If you’re passionate about wine or chocolate, then you probably already know about the benefits of resveratrol. Scientists have touted it as an anti-aging compound, and research shows that when this antioxidant attacks free radicals, it also encourages other antioxidants (especially vitamin E) to join the party. Together, they work to prevent skin aging and have been shown to protect against sun damage as well.
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When choosing a product with antioxidants, there’s no need to reach for multiple bottles or jars. A dedicated vitamin C serum is still a good choice, but many medical grade skincare products contain multiple antioxidants, so there’s no need to rely on individual products to achieve all the benefits. Replenix’s Power of Three Cream with Resveratrol contains 90% polyphenol isolates, the key ingredient in green tea, and Elite’s Fortified Moisturizer contains vitamins A, C, and E, as well as CoQ10, so you can fight inflammation, boost collagen production, and reduce hyperpigmentation all in step.
To your skin health,
Team Reflect
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