Use Antioxidants Orally and Topically.
Antioxidants prevent and repair the damage done by free radical action on the skin. They are the body’s defense against ruin, and may be ingested or applied topically.
Vitamin E and C help protect the skin in this way and are utilized in many topical skin care formulations. A particular form of Vitamin C has a melanin-surpressant and is helpful in treating hyper-pigmentation (darkening of skin due to exposure to sunlight)
Betacarotene, which is converted into Vitamin A in the liver, is also another well-known antioxidant.
Minerals such as Zinc and copper also help prevent reactions from starting.
Japanese green tea extract has been receiving much ado lately, though it is believed that white tea packs the most antioxidant punch.
Antioxidants found in skin care also include grapeseed extract and maritime bark extract which contain proanthocyanidins (I can’t pronouce it either but I can spell it!), which are known to be powerful antioxidants. Sunscreen also contains antioxidants which prevent damage to the skin from the sunlight.
Antioxidants are photosensitive (sensitive to light) so ensure that skin care products that contain antioxidant ingredients are properly packaged to maintain the integrity of the ingredients especially in the cases of specialty serums and what-not. If you can see that a product is darkening in a jar, this is a sign of a good product gone bad; the antioxidants that may have been present in these products are no longer effective.
For more info on the power of antioxidants in your diet see Anti-Agers
.
Eat up!
Supernova
Related GC post Anti-Aging Tip #1
Supernova
supaflygirl