You certainly don’t have to be a skin care fanatic to know that antioxidants are a crucial, highly effective part of a great skin care regime. That said, you may not be aware of what antioxidants actually do, how they actually work, or all their incredible benefits.
As you will learn from this article, the primary job of antioxidants is to act as a shield of sorts to the skin, protecting it from aggressors actively trying to harm it. But that’s far from their only role. Keep reading to discover more.
IN A NUTSHELL
Main Takeaways: Antioxidants help to protect your skin from environmental stressors that can lead to common signs of aging like dark spots, fine lines, and wrinkles.
Good to Know: Some of the best antioxidants to look for in your skin care products are vitamin C, niacinamide, and vitamin E.
Recommended Products: So Clean! Facial Cleanser, Nectar of the C Vitamin C Serum, Just Dew It Hydrating Serum, ‘A’ Game Retinol Serum, Eyes Eyes Baby Anti-Aging Eye Cream, H2 Oh Yeah Hydrating Moisturizer, Crème de la Cream Brightening Moisturizer, Youth Fairy Retinol Moisturizer, and Prince Charcoal Detox Mask.
What Are Antioxidants?
Very simply put, antioxidants protect the skin from environmental stressors that could otherwise cause damage and irritation. Ever heard of free radicals? These unstable atoms and molecules can wreak havoc on the skin and in the body, causing damage and further aging the skin. Like the heroine of a great story, antioxidants step in and give those molecules one of their own electrons, thus stabilizing it and protecting your skin from damage.
One of the best things about antioxidants is that they are found abundantly in nature. From plants, to fruits and vegetables to essential oils, antioxidants are all around you. Although we obviously include them in our products, it never hurts to incorporate them into your diet through berries, nuts, tea, and cacao.
What Are the Benefits of Antioxidants?
By protecting the skin from free radicals and other environmental stressors, antioxidants yield all kinds of benefits for the skin. For example, antioxidants have serious anti-aging benefits. When environmental stressors do manage to get to the skin, they can cause fine lines and wrinkles to form, making skin look older before its time. One of the best ways to combat this is with antioxidants. Some antioxidants also help hydrate the skin, resulting in healthier skin.
Caring for your skin with natural defenses, antioxidants have a calming effect on skin. They are also a godsend to anyone with uneven skin tone, as they can help even out the appearance of dark spots and brighten the skin.
What Are the Best Natural Antioxidants for Skin Care?
If you’ve ever read the ingredients labels on Fleur & Bee packaging, you know we’re big, big fans of antioxidants. They appear in one form or another in almost every one of our products. To illustrate, we’ve chosen a few of our favorites and broken down what they do, how they benefit your skin, and how you can incorporate them into your skin care routine:
- Vitamin B (Niacinamide) not only protects the skin, it also helps control excessive oil production.
- Vitamin C should unquestionably be in your ingredient arsenal if you are looking to brighten your skin. It works wonders on reducing the appearance of dark spots; and when combined with vitamin E, it does an incredible job of evening out skin tone. Vitamin C is the star ingredient in our Nectar of the C vitamin C serum.
- Vitamin E helps to fade the look of dark spots and calms and moisturizes the skin. It is one of the best anti-aging antioxidants around, which is why we’ve included it in both our Crėme de la Cream brightening moisturizer and our Eyes Eyes Baby eye cream.
- Vitamin A is often included in skincare in the form of retinol, which is one of the most studied anti-aging ingredients out there. Retinol is a powerhouse antioxidant that stimulates collagen production and cell turnover, effectively reducing the appearance of lines, wrinkles and dark spots for smoother, brighter skin. You will find retinol in our ‘A’ Game retinol serum and Youth Fairy retinol moisturizer.
- Pink Grapefruit adds a refreshing scent to our So Clean! facial cleanser, but it does more than just smell heavenly. Pink grapefruit contains citric acid, which is a fabulous exfoliator, as well as being rich in antioxidants.
- Organic Aloe Vera contains plant-based antioxidants called polyphenols, which helps form a thin, protective layer on the skin. That’s why we use it in Just Dew It hydrating serum, as well as in our Prince Charcoal detox mask.
Every good skincare routine should include the power of antioxidants. You will achieve happier, healthier skin with these naturally-abundant wonders. So pour yourself a cup of tea, slather on that moisturizer, and let antioxidants do its magic on the inside and out.
