From skin-damaging sunshine to aggressive pollutants, it can feel like everything around you is working against your skin. But when you unmask a lot of these individual irritants, you see that free radicals are a sneaky culprit causing damage everywhere they go. But what are free radicals and what does the damage they cause even look like?
This Before and After demonstrates the impact of free radical damage on the skin and the impact of a skin-care routine focused on correcting damage. These results display an Alastin Skincare routine utilizing the A-LUMINATE Brightening Serum.
Featured Experts
- Tina Alster, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Washington, D.C.
- Matthew Elias, MD is a board-certified dermatologist based in Fort Lauderdale, FL
- Patricia (Pato) Pol is a licensed esthetician on behalf of ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND!
- Steve Hernandez is senior vice president of R&D at TOPIX Pharmaceuticals.
What Are Free Radicals?
“Free radicals are unstable molecules that search for electrons to stabilize themselves,” explains Washington, D.C. dermatologist Tina Alster, MD.
“These molecules have unpaired electrons, which is what makes them unstable,” explains ANNEMARIE BÖRLIND licensed esthetician, Patricia Pol. “When they interact with cellular structures, such as proteins and lipids, they can cause oxidative stress, leading to cellular damage and premature aging.”
While free radicals can generate inside our bodies through hormonal processes, when it comes to skin, we’re usually concerned with external free radicals. Sources of free radicals include smoking, pollution and sunlight.
How Do We Stop the Damage?
“Antioxidants are molecular compounds that inhibit the oxidation process,” explains Fort Lauderdale, FL dermatologist Dr. Matthew Elias. “Oxidation is a chemical reaction that can produce harsh free radicals, which are compounds in the body that can cause illness and disease if their levels get too high.”
One of the biggest causes of oxidative stress is the free radical damage caused by UV. While we block a lot of UV damage with sunscreen, the addition of an antioxidant can help shore up your defenses.
“UV is a free radical chain reaction initiator,” senior vice president of R&D at TOPIX Pharmaceuticals Steve Hernandez explains. “That’s why we love antioxidants. They have a rich pool of electrons for free radicals to take from, thereby stopping that shotgun blast chain reaction. The antioxidant takes the bullet for you.”
What Does Free Radical Damage Look Like?
“Beyond being a precursor to skin cancer and malignant melanoma (which can be fatal), free radicals are also a major cause of premature skin aging,” says Dr. Alster. “When a mutated cell replicates, a copy of the mutation is created, which can worsen skin conditions like hyperpigmentation and melanoma.”
Premature aging shows up on our skin a few ways.
“Free radical damage can cause wrinkles, fine lines, and loss of elasticity,” Pol explains. “Skin may develop dark spots or uneven skin tone, may be dull and lack an overall radiance and vitality, and may have a compromised skin barrier that results in moisture loss.”
Preventing Free Radical Damage
With so many ways to get free radical damage from your surroundings, a good defense is the best offense. Because antioxidants are so good at stopping these chain reactions, they’re a key component in preventing damage. Sunscreens with antioxidants incorporated and sunscreen supplements help combat the small amount of UV radiation that UVA and UVB sunscreens don’t block, sealing your skin’s defenses. In addition, defense serums that prep your skin for an environment of potential stressors can help keep your skin from developing signs of damage in the first place.
Correcting Free Radical Damage
If you notice that signs of free radical damage are already present, you can turn to brightening serums designed to correct skin tone and reverse signs of aging.
