Updated: Sep 18, 2020
Part of all anti-aging routines should include an antioxidant. Why are these so important? Because they help neutralize free radicals! Well, what are those? Free radicals are harmful byproducts of oxygen metabolism that damage living cells by a process called oxidative stress. This is a naturally occurring process. These byproducts can actually cause damage to your cells. Imagine a lifetime of these byproducts causing havoc on your body! Factors that contribute to free radicals are stress and chronic inflammation, pollution, smoking and UV exposure.
The term antioxidant really is describing what the substance is doing more than what the substance is. The process, in layman’s terms, allows the unstable particle to become stable.
Examples of these free radical scavengers are Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, lycopene to name a few. Plant-based foods tend to be a great source of antioxidants for your body.
Vitamin C is considered one of the best topical antioxidants for skin. A balance of free radicals and antioxidants are ideal for normal physiology and prevent damage to cells.
Diva Tip: look for Vitamin C serums of 15% with ferulic acid. Anything higher has no added benefit and please be consistent with a routine. Ferulic acid also helps to stabilize Vitamin C!
