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What Are Free Radicals & How Does It Impact Skin Health?
The term free radicals are quite popular in the health and beauty community. But what are free radicals? They are responsible for hampering your skin’s collagen leading to dark spots, blemishes, wrinkles, fine lines, and more.
Understanding what are free radicals in the body will help you add the right products to your skincare routine. So let’s get into understanding more about free radicals and how they impact your body.
What Are Free Radicals?
Free radicals on the skin refer to unstable molecules responsible for damaging your cells. They don’t contain electrons from their outer shell. It makes them look for alternative molecules or atoms containing these electrons. They are unstable because they keep trying to be whole again.
Why Are They Harmful?
Free radicals have a reactive nature that makes them damage our skin and other cells in the body. While trying to stabilize themselves, free radicals can lead to oxidative stress. It can damage different parts of cells, including DNA.
As oxidative stress weakens cells and tissues, you become more vulnerable to various health issues. The worst impact of free radicals on your skin is aging. You will notice free radical damage on your skin in the form of wrinkles, dryness, sagging, dullness, pigmentation, and more.
What Causes Free Radicals in the Body and How Do They Damage Cells?
Now you should move into understanding what causes free radicals in the body after having a brief idea of what they are. Free radicals can occur due to certain metabolic processes, carcinogens, and other harmful environmental substances.
- Free radicals from metabolic processes: Free radicals can be a result of your body breaking down nutrients to offer you the energy you need. The production of free radicals during normal body processes usually increases your risk for several diseases as you continue to age.
- Free radicals from cancer-causing substances: Sometimes, free radicals can come from getting exposed to carcinogens like tobacco smoke, UV rays, medical radiation, air pollution, and more. Environmental and occupational substances like asbestos, vinyl chloride, and more.
How Can We Reduce the Risk of Skin Health Problems Caused by Free Radicals?
Now that you know what causes free radicals, you need to find a way to protect your skin from them. Avoiding complete exposure to free radicals seems impossible. But you will be able to take certain precautions to prevent skin problems due to free radicals.
Antioxidants are the unsung heroes in your skin’s battle against free radicals. You can get antioxidants through your diet by consuming items rich in vitamins A, E, and C. Some food items packed with antioxidants include tomatoes, blueberries, spinach, beetroot, and beans.
You can also add antioxidant-rich products to your skincare regimen to fight free radicals. Vitamin C and E, often found in face serums and night creams, usually contain antioxidants. Skincare products with niacinamide, a form of vitamin B3, are also packed with antioxidants.
The Benefits of Antioxidants in Fighting Against Free Radicals Skin
Antioxidants can interact with free radicals and neutralize them to prevent them from damaging your skin.Antioxidants work by offering free radical atoms an electron. By doing this, antioxidants can promote the formation of healthy cells and prevent damage.
Also Read: What are Antioxidants: Uses and Benefits of Antioxidants for Skin
Conclusion
Such is the relationship between free radicals and skin. But with the right skincare products, you will be able to prevent the harmful effects of free radicals on your skin. The Pink Foundry has a host of skincare products with antioxidants to help protect and preserve your skin. So go ahead and enhance your skincare routine today!
