Antioxidants 101

How do antioxidants, such as Frutta di Vita, help protect the skin?

In short, antioxidants help protect the skin by neutralizing free radicals - which can come from the sun, pollution, even stress - and thereby preventing premature aging.

What the heck is a free radical? Where do they come from? How can I avoid them?

Free radicals (atoms with an uneven number of electrons) are formed during a process known as oxidation, which is a reaction between oxygen molecules and other molecules.  The most obvious forms of oxidation (and the resulting free radical damage it triggers) are rusting metal or a cut apple turning brown. Since oxygen is essential for human survival, unfortunately, free radicals are pretty hard to totally avoid.

How can antioxidants help fight free radical damage - and help my skin?

Most of the visible signs of aging skin - the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, inflammation and redness, uneven pigmentation, and a loss of elasticity - are the result of free radical damage; because once the destructive chain reaction of electron stealing begins, the skins' ability to repair itself becomes compromised and over time irreversible damage can occur.  Antioxidants neutralize free radicals and end the destructive chain reaction of damage by donating one of their own electrons to the free radical atom, effectively ending the electron "stealing" reaction. Antioxidants are able to do this because their atoms are stable regardless if they have an odd or even number of electrons - so they can never become free radicals themselves.  That's what makes them so special!  Think of them as your "environmental shield" against the elements - and you've got the picture.

Written by Alison Raffaele Tatem, Creator of Alison Raffaele Costmetics

Read other blogs by Alison Raffaele: What Makes Cosmetics "Green"?

Alison Raffaele Cosmetics, Inc.

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