You probably have heard of anti-oxidants and free radicals, but do you know what they mean, what they are, how they affect the skin, or why anti-oxidants are discussed like a miracle drug in anti-aging and anti wrinkle creams? Well, it takes a fundamental uunderstanding of the aging and wrinkling process, so you can understand how anti-oxidants and free radicals affect the skin.
The principle consists of the breakdown of the skin cells, through the aging process, damage to skin through the elements or external factors, such as smoking, that can “attack” the DNA of the cells. Skin cells store Vitamin A, as well as Vitamins C and Vitamin E, so if everything were in perfect balance, these vitamins would be present in the skin cells in the amount necessary to maintain the skin’s youthful appearance.
In the theory of oxidants and free radicals, it is assumed that as age progresses, or other factors, the essential Vitamins may be depleted from the skin cells due to toxins reaching the cells, and these toxins are basically oxidants, or free radicals as they are often called. So it is assumed that if you take in enough antioxidants, they would fight off these invaders that deplete the vitamin stores of the skin cells, and leave behind dead, dry skin cells that make older or wrinkled skin behind.
Anti aging creams have been quick to pick up on this, using antioxidants in their topical formulas. Often promoted as green tea extract in creams, applying these formulas topically is still unproven. However, it has been proven that the consumption of green tea and black tea will provide ten time the antioxidants by eating fruits and vegetables. So it makes sense that applying to the skin’s surface will have a positive outcome.
Drinking a lot of green tea and black tea would still be the best way to fight oxidants, in fact, many people consume up to ten cups each day. Scientist have been able to show that green tea and black tea contain more antioxidants than other varieties like oolong tea. The youthfulness found in countries like China and Japan certainly back this up.
In the case of anti aging creams, green tea extract additives have latched onto this same principle, but results are unknown as far as a topical use. As the premise of antioxidants fighting vitamin loss through internal toxins or free radicals being attacked is more of an internal process, but it is possible some benefit can be gained through external application. This is thought to be the case at least on a short term basis, until those cells die and are replaced by new ones.
It would seem that antioxidants as a cure or prevention in aging and wrinkling, could be more of an internal process, where it could be advised to drink green and black tea on a regular basis, since there is ten times the oxidants as found in equivalent measures of fruits and vegetables. It is unknown with certainty as to the benefits topically, other than short term.
