Antioxidant treatment: why it’s important during the summer.

• July 15, 2018

On top of stress, pollution and late nights, your skin is exposed to excessive sunlight during the summer.

While wrinkles, fine lines and age spots all come from the natural aging of the skin, they are also multiplied from prolonged exposure to the sun. UV rays contain free radicals that destroy the skin from the inside out. The resulting deterioration of elastin and collagen causes the skin to sag and wrinkle, but it will also increase breakouts and hyper-pigmentation.

According to Dr. Costi you need a little something extra in summer to prevent the added aggressions and to help with the regeneration of collagen. This something extra is Antioxidants, and they keep your face looking plump and wrinkle-free by flushing out toxins and free-radicals.

Various types of Antioxidants
An antioxidant is a compound that stops the oxidation of another compound. When a compound loses oxygen it becomes a free-radical and it will cause damage unless it is neutralized.

That’s where antioxidants come in.

While there are countless variations on dosage and origin, antioxidant serums and creams are mostly composed of the following ingredients that help renew your skin.

Retinol
The strongest antioxidant, Retinol also known as Vitamin A1, has been used for a long time by dermatologists to treat all kinds of skin ailments. It thickens the deep layers of your skin, therefore preventing wrinkles from forming.

Idebenone
This chemical is the newest thing in antioxidant skin treatment, and is very sought after for its qualities as a safe free-radical fighter. It also helps reduce inflammation of the skin and appearance of redness and swelling.

Coenzyme Q10
This compound is naturally found in your body, and one of its many healing benefits is that it generates energy within you cells, therefore preventing aging.

Vitamin E
Found in both natural and synthetic form, this vitamin regulates the regeneration of cells, therefore playing a great role in the prevention of aging.

L-ascorbic acid
More commonly known as Vitamin C, this is a common ingredient in many skincare products and has great effects on the metabolism of skin (regeneration and rejuvenation). L-ascorbic acid also reduces the production of melanin which degenerates the skin’s texture and quality.

The proper way to apply your antioxidant treatment
Dr. Costi advises you to benefit fully from the power of these treatments, therefore to apply them on clean skin. Make sure you have open pores and a dry face to completely absorb the cream.

Extra tip: never rub a towel on your skin while drying your face, instead dab it gently to avoid chafing irritation.

At the end of the day, you want to enjoy the season without worrying about the damage to your skin. So one way to ensure protection and repair will be for you to count on a good antioxidant and keep using it.

If you don’t know which treatment to adopt, Dr. Costi can discuss with you the best product for your complexion.

And remember what our favorite dermatologist says: “Wear your crown and own it. Let your beauty shine”.