subject: How Antioxidants Can Help Your Skin Look Younger [print this page] The condition of the skin on our face says a lot about our age. Many people can guess a person's age purely by assessing a person's face and the amount of wrinkles, as we know they build up gradually over time.
Slow wrinkling often starts in the thirties or forties, often around the eyes where the skin is thinnest, or at the corners of the mouth. Those blessed with an oily skin seem to have a slight advantage in that they don't develop wrinkles so readily.
Most skin damage is the result of the action of free radicals, which are unstable molecules or parts of molecules, produced by oxidation, a chemical process aggravated by pollution, (environmental and from smoking), stress and sun. The collagen that forms the framework of the skin is gradually destroyed, reducing the support for the skin surface, so that lines develop.
Sunlight is thought to be the main culprit in skin damage, and you only have to compare the appearance of the skin of your face with that of the upper inner arm to see that this is so.
The most important thing you can do to help your skin stay young looking, is to stay out of the sun! OK, it's fair enough to have half an hour or so a day in order to build up your vitamin D, but even then you should be wearing sun block to reduce the harmful UV rays. Always wear sun-screen, even during the winter, as this will drastically cut the exposure to harmful sunlight and make quite a difference in the long run.
Most of us all ready have wrinkles, and there are ways to reduce their appearance. There are treatments such as Botox, derma fillers, and micro-abrasion, but the most natural way is to get more antioxidants into the skin by consuming a healthy, varied diet with lots of fruit and vegetables. A diet like that will contain many health-giving compounds such as vitamins A, C, B, and E, coenzyme Q10, resveratrol, and several other exotic substances such as those found in grape skins, green tea, and "super fruits" like Acai berry. By upping your intake of antioxidants you must surely increase your body's chances of dealing effectively with the free radicals which are constantly being produced.
There may also be some merit in applying moisturising creams directly to the skin that contain antioxidants or substances such as retinol from vitamin A. There is evidence that this may stimulate renewal of collagen in the skin to some extent. Effective retinoid creams however, are only generally available on prescription and there is some concern about their long term use. Many commercially available creams have derivatives of vitamin A also, but at much lower concentrations, and their effectiveness is doubtful.
Overall, it is probably best to rely on a healthy diet to achieve a good intake of antioxidants, perhaps helped by a few suitable supplements, plus application of suitable moisturising creams to help keep the skin hydrated, and with sunscreen to reduce harmful UV rays. The only alternative would be to stay in bed all day!
