Free Radicals: The Secrets Behind Skin Ageing

What are free radicals?

When you are thinking about how to care for your skin to keep it youthful and radiant, it is essential to understand a fundamental concept: free radicals. These tiny yet powerful intruders can have a significant impact on the health and appearance of your skin, leading to premature ageing.

To understand free radicals, we first need to talk about atoms. Atoms are the basic units of matter and consist of a central nucleus surrounded by electrons. We can imagine these atoms as small building blocks. Each atom is made up of a nucleus in the centre and electrons that orbit around it. To be happy and stable, these atoms need to have a specific number of electrons around them.

However, at times, some atoms become a bit restless and have an extra electron that they should not have. We call these atoms ’free radicals.’ To calm themselves down, they constantly seek to steal an electron from other healthy atoms in your body, even those that are part of your skin. That's why they are described as reactive oxygen species (ROS). In doing so, they cause damage to cell membranes, proteins, and DNA.

Think about what happens when you bite into an apple or a banana and leave it out for a while. You notice that the fruit starts to turn brown. That is what happens when free radicals do their thing, but in this case, instead of in a matter of minutes, it happens over decades.

The skin's natural defence

The body has its own way of protecting itself from these free radicals using antioxidants. These antioxidants help to keep everything in balance. However, as we age, this balance can break down. When free radicals exceed the body's ability to neutralise them, they start to damage important parts of our cells, like their "walls", proteins, and genetic material, which is called oxidative stress.

Some of the cells that get damaged are those that produce essential elements to keep our skin firm and youthful, like collagen and hyaluronic acid. These cells work hard when we are young, but over time, their capacity naturally decreases. Oxidative stress accelerates this process.

As we age, the skin becomes less able to deal with free radicals on its own. This means that our ageing process speeds up, and that is when we start to see lines and wrinkles on our skin, as well as a tired appearance sooner than expected.

How do they act on the skin?

Free radicals can negatively impact your skin in several ways:

• Premature ageing: The damage caused by free radicals can accelerate the skin's ageing process, resulting in wrinkles, fine lines, and a loss of elasticity.
• Hyperpigmentation: Free radicals can stimulate melanin production, which can result in dark spots on the skin.
• Loss of Collagen: Collagen is an essential protein for keeping the skin firm and youthful. Free radicals can damage collagen, leading to sagging skin with less elasticity.
• Inflammation: The action of free radicals can trigger inflammatory processes in the skin, which can contribute to problems like acne and redness.

Fortunately, our skin has its own antioxidant defence system to combat free radicals. Antioxidants are molecules that can donate electrons to free radicals without becoming unstable themselves. This neutralises the negative effect of free radicals and helps protect the skin.

Protecting your skin from free radicals

This is where cosmetics come into play. Many skincare products are now formulated with powerful antioxidants like vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol, and ferulic acid. These antioxidants not only help to neutralise free radicals but also promote collagen production, improve skin texture, and give you a brighter complexion.

Free radicals can be an invisible threat to your skin's health, but with a skincare routine that includes antioxidants and a well-chosen sunscreen, you can keep your skin protected and radiant.

In summary, free radicals are unstable molecules that can damage our skin, but the antioxidants present in cosmetics can help combat these negative effects. Incorporate antioxidants into your skincare routine and protect your skin from the damage caused by free radicals.