May. 02, 2020

Antioxidants in food and skincare

Despite our body’s own antioxidant system, an abundance of free radicals can be overwhelming. Supplementing through diet or skin care is an effective way to reduce exposure to oxidative stress and support antioxidant function.

SKINTIP

In this skin tip, Dr. Barbara Geusens tells you all about the importance of antioxidants for your skin. At Nomige, we look at whether your body naturally produces enough antioxidants. Then we adjust your day serum to your needs. Of course, you can also give your skin extra support by looking for antioxidants in food.

What are antioxidants?

As the word itself suggests, antioxidants are a defense mechanism against 'oxidants' or the scientific term ' oxidative stress ' which produces free radicals . These radicals are reactive molecules that cause disease, cancer, skin aging,
hyperpigmentation and other forms of skin damage . Free radicals can be formed after exposure to UV rays (sun), pollution, blue light, smoking, etc.

Our skin's natural antioxidant network consists of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants . Superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase and glutathione (GSH) are enzymatic antioxidants. These are often referred to as 'detox enzymes' . The non-enzymatic antioxidants include the better known vitamin C , vitamin E , vitamin A , coenzyme Q...

What Antioxidants Should You Look For in Skin Care?

Most products found in stores contain antioxidants such as vitamins E, C and A.

Vitamin E is listed as Tocopherol or Tocopheryl Acetate in the ingredients list. It can 'clean up' free radicals before they damage our cells and is also skin softening.

Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid is not only used to protect against free radicals, but also to support the activity of vitamin E. That is why vitamin E and C are often combined in our skin care.

Beta-carotene is a carotenoid derived from vitamin A. Beta-carotene mainly protects against free radicals, produced by infrared radiation. It is naturally present in our skin, but is often depleted by the sun. Therefore, it is useful to replenish these amounts through diet and skin care.

The antioxidant coenzyme Q10 or CoQ-10 is often listed on various skin care products. In the ingredient list it is listed as ' Ubiquinone '. Mostly it is used for its anti-aging effect.

Lesser known but effective antioxidants are reservatrol, ferulic acid, curcumin, alpha-lipoic acid, arbutin and plant extracts such as Ginkgo Biloba and grape seed extract . This is just a small selection from a wide range of antioxidants, which are most common in our skin care.

Which foods contain antioxidants?

We naturally produce a lot of antioxidants, but their levels decrease significantly as we age. That is why consuming antioxidants through a balanced diet consisting of fruits and vegetables can be extremely beneficial. The following food sources can help you boost antioxidant system : carrots (beta-carotene), citrus fruits (vitamin C, ferulic acid), broccoli (vitamin C), mixed nuts (vitamin E), avocado (vitamin E), grapes, nutmeg, kale, spinach, green tea, etc.

Antioxidants in skin care

In addition to nutrition, you can also increase your antioxidant levels through skin care. We are constantly exposed to environmental factors such as UV radiation and pollution, so it makes sense to supplement antioxidants daily. Applying antioxidants is especially relevant in the morning, to protect your skin from the free radicals we are exposed to during the day.

Try personalized skin care now

Using a DNA test, we analyze your specific skin needs. For example, through DNA research, we can find lower levels of superoxide dismutase, glutathione or reservatrol. If that is the case, these will be the most important antioxidants that are included in your day serum. In addition to the classic fit-for-all antioxidants such as vitamin C and E, we at Nomige go one step further.