[imagesource: GEV Shop]

The hardest working skincare ingredients in the glow-getting game are antioxidants, providing that anti-ageing punch we all need when we hit a certain age.

These skincare superheroes are naturally occurring vitamins and minerals that protect your skin against free radicals, the molecules floating around in the environment like skin-ageing assassins.

Free radicals – present in air pollutants, chemicals, and cigarette smoke – latch onto your skin’s precious collagen, compromising elasticity and causing fine lines and, eventually, deep-set wrinkles.

The audacity, I know!

But antioxidants neutralise these free radicals, protecting your skin from the damage modern living throws at it, which is something Skin Renewal takes very seriously.

In short, antioxidants inhibit free radicals while promoting a brighter, youthful complexion and tell fine lines that it is actually not fine to make space on your well-cleansed, SPF-protected face.

Yes, that was a little wink, wink, nudge, nudge to remind you that sun cream is absolutely essential.

Now let’s talk about the (vitamins) A, B, C, and E.

Vitamin A, retinol, and the retinoid family are some of the most potent antioxidants for stimulating collagen production.

This group of antioxidants speeds up cell turnover, reduces signs of ageing, treats breakouts, smoothens skin, and targets age spots. It also delivers the best of both worlds, with immediate and long-term effects.

Then, often referred to as niacinamide, Vitamin B3 is a true skin booster due to its anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for treating acne and rosacea.

It’s also a team player in the antioxidant arena, boosting the performance of other antioxidants, retaining moisture levels, reducing pigmentation, and ironing out fine lines.

Those in the aesthetics industry know that Vitamin C, the fruit-derived favourite, is a natural skin brightener – think of it as your skin’s very own inner ring light.

Like other antioxidants, it boosts collagen production, protects against free radicals, and tightens the skin, restoring elasticity.

The only ‘con’ of this antioxidant is that Vitamin C can be an unstable molecule and lose its efficacy quickly if not stored correctly. That just means you will need to keep your Vitamin C serums in a cool, dark place like a drawer.

Often overlooked but very much worth including in your skincare regime, Vitamin E is a healer, giving your skin some much-needed assistance when it’s feeling a bit battered by the elements or recovering post-procedure.

That being said, give this one a skip if you’re prone to breakouts, as vitamin E is less friend, and more foe, for acne-prone patients.

A skin immunity booster, green tea extract is a source of large amounts of antioxidants.

The fact that it’s packed full of plant polyphenols means its claim to fame is helping inflammation, particularly by preventing and repairing photodamage to the skin.

Lastly, you can reverse the effects of stress on your skin with resveratrol.

Stemming from grapes, red wine, and some berries (among other sources), resveratrol is antimicrobial. This means it has ‘cancer-fighting’ on its impressive resume and boasts myriad anti-ageing properties, fights oxidative stress, and boosts the overall health of your complexion.

Skin Renewal’s online shop stocks a wide range of antioxidant-containing skincare options for whatever your skincare challenges or #skingoals are.

Aside from shopping around, you can also find out more by chatting to one of Skin Renewal’s highly-qualified medical aesthetics doctors the next time you pop into one of their 18 branches nationwide.

A brighter, more youthful you is on the horizon.