Antioxidants are a concept in beauty all of us are familiar with now. We don’t actually know what good they do for our skin. We know that including antioxidants in your diet and cosmetics is beneficial; but how exactly does it help our body and mind? Well, among the many things that antioxidants are good for, one of them is flushing out free radicals.

Most of you are familiar with this phrase; it is included in so many beauty and wellness products. Nutritionists swear by the practice of expelling them from your system to keep your skin looking youthful and glowing. So we decided to do a deep dive into what free radicals are exactly and how to protect yourself from them. A word of caution: things are about to get very textbook!

 

What are free radicals?

What are free radicals?

Let’s get the chemistry jargon out of the way. Everything in the universe, including and especially humans, are made up of atoms. Atoms are made up of electrons and when an atom is missing an electron they become free radicals. These free radicals are constantly in a state of unrest, looking for electrons which they can snatch from atoms in the skin. The loss of molecules leads to disturbance in our skin’s DNA and causes early ageing.

 

How to protect yourself from free radicals?

How to protect yourself from free radicals?

There are many signs of free radical damage that show up on our skin. Uneven skin tone, dark spots, saggy texture, and wrinkles. And as mentioned above, the only way to fight free radicals in your system is through antioxidants. They work by neutralizing these molecules and protecting against any potential damage that might be caused by them.

Our bodies produce a very limited amount of antioxidants naturally so it becomes crucial to get them from skincare and diet. Products infused with vitamins A, C and E can work wonders to prevent free radical damage.

Diet-wise, you can munch on fruits and veggies like carrots, mangoes and pumpkins. Vitamin C is found in citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruit. Vitamin E rich foods include nuts, seeds and vegetable oil. Enrich your diet with the compound selenium by eating chicken, pork, eggs and red meat (unless you follow a vegetarian diet). These tiny little tweaks can be your key to radiant skin and a healthy body!