Taking the Mystery Out Of Free Radicals

Antioxidants, and free radicals. You see them mentioned all the time when you're reading informational literature about some of today's best skin care products. But just what are they and how does each one function to either harm or help you when they find their way down into your lower skin layers?

Now just the name "free radical" doesn't sound at all good. It sounds like little vandals that are just up to no good. So who wants them in their system? Now antioxidants, on the other hand, are the "good guys" of skin care but just the same antioxidant sounds like they remove oxygen, and isn't oxygen good for us?

Well of course oxygen is good for us and that's why we breath. Try to understand though that when we breath, the oxygen molecules are paired up with red blood cells in our lungs. On the other hand, free oxygen molecules in your system, and in your skin are definitely not good at all. In fact they're called free radicals.

The "avocado test" is a great way to see how fast oxygen degrades living cells in your skin. Simply take an avocado, cut it in half, and set it out in the open air on your counter. Now when you come back in a couple of hours, the halves will have turned from green to gray, and it's the oxygen that did it.

It's the actual molecular makeup of oxygen that makes it such a problem in your system. A molecular makeup that makes it want to attach itself to, or oxidize other molecules to create oxides. Also once oxygen attaches to another molecule, it forms a very tight bond. In other words you won't see that avocado slice turn green again.

On the positive front though, there are active ingredients available in today's more effective skin care products that are drawn to, and counteract free radicals. Of these the most commonly known is in fact vitamin C, also known as (ascorbic acid). Try rubbing an avocado slice with lime juice, and watch how it keeps it green.

One of the secrets to the effectiveness of vitamin C and so many of the other powerful antioxidants that you can apply to your skin today, is that they have low molecular weights. In simple terms this means that they're incredibly small molecules and because they are small, they more readily bypass your top epidermal skin layer.

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Want to find out more about Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, then visit Gary Woods's site on how to choose the best Skinceuticals for your needs.

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