Antioxidants in Skin Care: Why You Need Them & How to Use Them

In an age of buzz-worthy skin care ingredients that are trending one day and gone the next, antioxidants are as reliable as the sun coming up every day. Which is ironic, because sun damage is one of the things they fight against! Antioxidants are a kind of Jack-of-all-trades in skin care because they help prevent and reverse so many aesthetic concerns, like signs of aging, hyperpigmentation, dryness, dullness, and more. Read on to learn more about them, where to find them, and the aesthetic treatments that can help you get more out of them. 

What Do Antioxidants Do for Your Skin?   

The main purpose of antioxidants is to protect your cells against free radicals. These are environmental aggressors—like pollution in the air and the blue light from your computer screen—that bombard your skin, causing oxidative stress every day. In the same way an apple slice turns brown when exposed to the air, over time, oxidative stress impacts the skin. This leads to premature wrinkles, loss of elastin, decreased moisture, increased pigmentation, and a reduction in the moisture barrier. The good news? All of these issues can be addressed with the help of antioxidants.  

Benefits of Using Antioxidants in Skin Care 

Here are a few ways antioxidants support skin health and structure: 

• Antioxidants help correct signs of aging by scavenging the free radicals that cause fine lines, wrinkles, and loose skin 
• Antioxidants help prevent sun damage by blunting your skin’s inflammatory response to the sun’s harmful rays, preventing sun damage and photoaging 
• Antioxidants help skin repair itself by reducing inflammation and allowing skin to repair itself and correct visible damage
• Antioxidants help brighten skin tone by reducing photodamage, thereby preventing abnormal skin pigmentation  

Best Antioxidants to Look for in Skin Care 

When it comes to incorporating antioxidants into your skin care routine, there’s a wealth of choices. While all antioxidants help protect your skin from oxidative stress, each one comes with specific benefits of its own. Use this guide to decide which ones will work best for you and tailor your routine accordingly.  

Vitamin C: An antioxidant wunderkind, Vitamin C is known to fix common complexion concerns such as uneven skin tone, rough texture, fine lines, acne scars, and general dullness. 

Vitamin E: Best for dry skin, Vitamin E provides moisturizing and anti-inflammatory benefits and is also well known for soothing skin sensitivities and irritation.  

Niacinamide: Supports skin health by reinforcing your skin barrier; niacinamide is also a beneficial ingredient for people prone to blemishes and blackheads because of its anti-inflammatory properties  

Coenzyme Q10: Also known as ubiquinone, this antioxidant keeps your skin cells healthy by supporting collagen production to help improve elasticity and texture. 

Resveratrol: Besides impressive anti-aging abilities, Resveratrol has anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and anti-fungal properties which soothe down the skin—but should be used before bedtime since UV rays cancel out its effectiveness. 

Retinol: An anti-aging favorite, retinol helps with cell turnover, stimulates collagen, and accelerates cell renewal, but remember to wear sunscreen when using since it increases skin sensitivity.    

Polyphenols: Found in organic plants and fruits, polyphenols are also found in green and black tea and help repair sun damage, in addition to possessing anti-inflammatory and skin-calming properties. 

Hyaluronic Acid: Aside from being great for skin hydration, HA is also an effective antioxidant that helps prevent free radical damage and stimulates wound healing, leading to softer, smoother, and more youthful skin.  

Aesthetic Treatments to Level Up Your Skin Care  

With consistent use, antioxidants are a great way to support your skin’s health and glow. Non-invasive medical aesthetic treatments do the same thing, but much faster and with visible results to sustain your skin’s youth and vitality for a lifetime. Here are the treatments that will get your skin glowing in no time (and with no downtime):   

Photofacial Treatments 

For sun damage, dark spots, and other signs of photoaging caused by exposure to free radicals, Venus Versa™ photofacial treatments use Intense Pulsed Light (IPL) technology to rejuvenate skin from underneath the surface. By reinvigorating the skin’s natural production of collagen and elastin, photofacials clear up sun damage, slow down the appearance of aging, and restore skin to a brighter, healthier, more radiant appearance. 

Skin Tightening & Wrinkle Reduction Treatments  

Antioxidants support the production of collagen and elastin, two essential building blocks for having firm, youthful skin. Venus Legacy™ and Venus Versa™ use radio frequency energy to effectively boost collagen and elastin production as both a restorative and preventative measure against the signs of aging. Non-surgical wrinkle reduction treatments and skin tightening treatments address fine lines and deep wrinkles, at the same time improving skin laxity, sagging, and loss of elasticity. Both of these comfortable, no-downtime treatments visibly restore tighter, smoother, and younger-looking skin.  

Facial Renewal Treatments 

To refresh the skin and support the skin barrier, Venus Glow™ facial renewal treatments flush out pores and pull dirt, excess oil, and impurities from below the skin’s surface for a deep clean that reveals a radiant, refreshed complexion. The micro-massaging tip then stimulates nutrients to spread through the derma layer and restore nourishment to help keep the skin hydrated and protected. The treatments can also be enhanced with Venus Glow Serums™, such as Glow Astra or Glow Sana, which are formulated with antioxidants to repair dullness, dryness, and other signs of aging, as well as protect against further free radical damage. 

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