How To Add Antioxidants To Your Skin Care Routine: The Best Ingredient For Every Need

You might already know that healthy skin needs antioxidants to function at peak level. What you might not know is why your skin needs antioxidants or the types of benefits antioxidants can offer to your regular skin care routine. That's why we're here!

Antioxidants are a must-have addition to your skin care routine. By targeting free radicals, antioxidants can provide all kinds of skin care benefits. First, let's dissect exactly what free radicals are and how they work: Free radicals are unstable molecules missing an electron. To gain stability, they search for electrons from healthy cells, which causes healthy cells to turn into radicals themselves, resulting in a never-ending vicious cycle.

Though our bodies naturally produce free radicals, other environmental factors like UV light, pollution, your diet, and cigarette smoke can generate free radicals. Sometimes we can even inadvertently add additional free radical stress to our skin by being overly aggressive with our products or routine. That's all to say: Free radicals can come from a lot of places. 

An overload of free radicals causes oxidative stress, which results in a breakdown of collagen, an obstruction to the skin's natural repair process and inflammation. It can also weaken the skin barrier and disrupt your skin microbiome. This all may result in aesthetic indicators like discoloration, sagging, flare-ups, acne, fine lines, and more. 

That's when antioxidants step in to lend a hand. "Antioxidants are compounds that prevent oxidation," board-certified dermatologist Debra Jaliman, M.D., says.

What does this mean in practice? "It's basically a substance that can prevent or slow damage to cells caused by free radicals," board-certified dermatologist and founder of OptiSkin in NYC Orit Markowitz, M.D., explains. "Antioxidants are things that interact with free radicals, and they sort of decrease these free radicals on our skin, creating a healthier environment."

You've probably heard of this one, as it's got to be one of the most popular antioxidants on the market. Serums and moisturizers alike advertise their vitamin C formulas. Though vitamin C has lots of skin care benefits, its most beloved has to be its ability to brighten skin and minimize dark spots associated with photoaging, which is often caused by UV damage. It doesn't stop there, though. Vitamin C has also been shown to support collagen production1 and stabilize one's natural collagen. Overall, this antioxidant delivers a smoother, more radiant complexion.

Since antioxidant protection is a vital part of caring for your barrier, any non-irritating topical antioxidant will improve its health. However, coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) just might be your best bet if you are dealing with epidermal issues. CoQ10 is a fat-soluble compound that's found in all your cells that has strong antioxidant properties: It protects against lipid peroxidation2, a process by which free radicals damage cell membranes leading to a weakened barrier function.

Also known as vitamin B3, niacinamide is a powerful soothing antioxidant that improves the skin's texture and tone. "Niacinamide is very mild and good for people with sensitive skin," Jaliman points out. This is due to its ability to strengthen the skin barrier. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties, which help to soothe breakouts and fight redness that's common in acne flare-ups. In fact, one study found that when applied topically, niacinamide can treat moderate acne as well as any topical antibiotic.

Markowitz notes that there are other factors that cause breakouts that niacinamide and other antioxidants cannot combat. "[Antioxidants] are not going to decrease bacteria or sebaceous glands or sebum production," she says. "But anything that creates a healthier environment and a better pH balance on the skin, even something as simple as micellar water, is going to decrease the amount of acne."

As a derivative of vitamin A, retinoids are considered antioxidants. It's one of the most effective anti-aging ingredients: Thanks to its small molecular structure, it's an incredibly effective antioxidant to penetrate deep into the skin to stimulate collagen production while also accelerating cell renewal and repair. "Retinol binds to retinoid receptors within skin cells," says board-certified dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, M.D. This "activates genes that upregulate collagen production." This effect was observed in a small human study, where retinol treatment stimulated collagen production3 in mature skin, helping decrease the appearance of wrinkling. This gives skin a smoother, more youthful finish that has your age clock going back in time.