Free Radicals? What are they & how do they impact our health?

The words Free Radicals and Antioxidants are thrown around a lot, especially in the skin care world, but what are they?! Let's find out!

Free radicals are highly unstable molecules containing oxygen which have unpaired electrons, these unpaired electrons make it very easy for the molecules to react with other molecules in the body, when there is an excess of these free radicles in the body, this can cause oxidation, which damages the growth and life of cells in the body. Oxidative stress can lead to diseases such as cancer and auto immune disorders and plays a big role in premature ageing.

So how do we counteract oxidative stress? Introducing ......... antioxidants! This is why antioxidants are so widely spoken about and promoted amongst the skincare community, they are so important to fight and prevent free radical damage! Antioxidants are molecules which are able to give away one of their own electrons to the free radical, meaning they are still able to remain stable without their missing electron and the free radical won't need to react with any other molecules and cause damage.... Hooray!

But where do these free radicals come from?

Free radicals effect the skin through:

-Pollution
-Radiation
-Cigarette smoke
-Processed foods
-UV damage

Whilst we are aren't always able to change our surrounding environment, choosing a healthy lifestyle and making changes to support your body and skin health is priority!

Fun fact! 1 puff of a cigarette= 3 trillion free radicals, that's crazy! Health is wealth.

Consuming lots of antioxidants in your diet and supporting your skin health with essential antioxidants is the key. Internally Antioxidants are found in lots of vegetables and fruits, and externally in skin care with ingredients such as:

-Vitamin A,B,C and E
-Green tea
-Reservatrol, and many more!

To find out more about antioxidants and the skincare that you should be using to support your current skin concerns, feel free to reach out and contact the team at SJM! xxx

Rosie Cowan
Dermal Therapist