You may be more than aware of antioxidants in some of your favourite skincare products, but we’re going to take a wild guess and say that you don’t really know what antioxidants are. It’s worth getting familiar with these iconic ingredients because they boast a boatload of skin benefits, from helping to protect against free radical damage to fading dark spots and discolouration, to helping combat the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. In short, antioxidants are damage defenders that actively help to slow skin ageing – and it doesn’t get much better than that!

We’re sold. Sign us up! So we’ve broken down the 5 most important benefits of antioxidants when it comes to skincare, and why they deserve a place in your everyday routine just in case you needed a little more convincing.

Antioxidants help protect against free radicals

When pollution or other environmental toxins reach your skin, they may generate a free radical, which is a molecule or atom that is stripped of one of its electrons. This molecule needs this electron to feel complete, so it goes in search of one, making its way through your cells trying to steal electrons from other complete atoms. This is the process that causes the damage and ageing in our skin from pollution, smoking, UV light etc. It’s like an apple that goes brown when you cut it, from the oxygen in the air reacting with the enzymes in the apple itself. You can stop this process by squeezing a lemon over the apple to demonstrate how antioxidants work.

This is where antioxidants such as Vitamin C step in. These ingredients can sacrifice one of their own electrons to satisfy that annoying free radical who is running around doing all this damage. Literally bathing your skin (and body) in antioxidants can give you a better chance of not only preventing damage, but also repairing it.

Antioxidants help brighten skin tone

Free radicals and sun exposure can trigger changes in the skin’s melanin production, which in turn can cause dark spots and an uneven skin tone. By reducing photodamage, antioxidants can help to prevent excessive pigmentation.

Some antioxidants have the unique ability to visibly improve a dull, tired, or uneven skin tone. The star of the glow when it comes to brightness boosting is Vitamin C. This multi-tasking must-have is a highly effective antioxidant that makes it its mission to brighten, energise and revitalise your complexion. Vitamin C comes in various forms, both naturally occurring and synthetic. Our new Glow And Protect Serum contains Vitamin C sourced from superfruit – the most impressive of which is the Kakadu Plum that contains over 100X the amount of Vitamin C as an orange – plus synthetic Vitamin C like Tetraisopalmitate which is easily absorbed and gentler on skin, so it limits potential irritation.

Antioxidants help skin look firmer

As we get older, important substances in the surface layers of the skin naturally start to break down, which makes your skin feel less firm and supple and can encourage the appearance of wrinkles. Antioxidants like Omega 6 can help slow down this process and help repair the skin’s barrier. Pomegranate is a rich source of Omega 6 and other essential fatty acids, and guess what? We’ve added this to our Glow And Protect Serum too.

Antioxidants help fight the appearance of wrinkles

Antioxidants help to visibly smooth and soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Oxidative stress caused by free radicals breaks down collagen and impedes the skin’s natural repair process, which can trigger inflammation and sensitivity. You can see these effects in fine lines and wrinkles, breakouts, and an uneven skin tone. Antioxidants have soothing properties that can help to prevent and correct visible signs of photoaging to give your skin its youthful dewiness back.

Antioxidants help soothe skin

If you suffer from the key signs of skin sensitivity such as redness, dryness, and irritation, then you will benefit from the addition of an antioxidant to your everyday routine. Antioxidants help to calm and soothe the skin. Beta-Glucan is a skin-soother like no other, and one of the reasons (alongside other skin replenishing ingredients) our Evercalm™ Overnight Recovery Balm is proven to calm and soothe skin while you sleep.