Cut an apple in half and leave it on the chopping board. An hour later, the cut surface has turned brown. A bike that’s been left outside over the winter starts to rust. Two everyday scenes, one and the same reaction: oxidation. And it’s happening, quietly, in your skin too.
Free radicals – unstable molecules missing an electron – play the leading role. To stabilise themselves, they snatch an electron from a neighbouring molecule, damaging it in the process. Your body is prepared for this and has its own defence system of antioxidants ready to counteract it. If the balance is right, you won’t notice a thing. If the radicals gain the upper hand, this is known as oxidative stress.
If you our latest posts If you’ve read this, you’ll already be familiar with the term. UVA, infrared, visible light – however different they may be, they all ultimately boil down to the same thing. Oxidative stress is the common thread behind premature skin ageing. Reason enough to devote a whole chapter to it: what it does, how your skin defends itself, and what you can actually do about it.
What happens in the skin during this process
Free radicals aren’t choosy. They attack anything that gets in their way – the cell’s genetic material just as much as its proteins or the fats in the cell membrane. But they cause the most trouble one layer deeper, in the dermis, where your connective tissue is located.
There, they cause twofold damage. Firstly, they take out those Enzymes: spicy, which act like tiny scissors to break down collagen and elastin – the MMPs. Secondly, they inhibit the very process by which the skin produces new collagen. That is the tricky part: more is broken down, whilst at the same time less is replaced.
Over the years, the connective tissue gradually thins out. This is accompanied by cells that go into a sort of ‘retirement’ and contribute very little, inflammation that simmers quietly in the background, and pigmentation that sets in more quickly. When we look in the mirror, this manifests as what we’re all familiar with: fine lines, a loss of firmness, a tired complexion, and the odd blemish here and there.
Your skin is fighting back – but its strength is waning
Your skin is not defenceless against free radicals. It mobilises its own defence force: protective enzymes such as superoxide dismutase and glutathione, commanded by a switch called NRF2, which ramps up production as soon as things get dicey.
The problem isn’t the system, but time. Over the years, this defence mechanism becomes sluggish, and when too many radicals advance at once, it simply overwhelmed. That’s why, as we get older, our skin needs more help from the outside – not because it’s giving up, but because a bit of support does it good.
There is a persistent misconception, and let’s clear that up straight away: it’s not about hunting down every single free radical. The body needs a certain amount of them as a signal, for example to trigger repair processes. The aim is to strike a balance, not to reach zero.
Where the radicals come from
Some of it is produced quite naturally, simply because your cells are burning energy. This naturally occurring component is always present, and that’s a good thing – you can’t do without it entirely.
The part you hold in your hand is more interesting. You’re already familiar with UVA, infrared and visible light as sources of free radicals that penetrate deep into the skin. Added to these are two that are less often discussed: city air, with its particulate matter and exhaust fumes, and cigarette smoke – one of the most potent sources of free radicals of all, affecting the skin both from the outside and from the inside.
The beauty of the phrase «in one’s hands» is that it leaves room for action. More consistently UVA protection, giving up cigarettes, cutting down on exhaust fumes a little wherever possible – this reduces the burden of free radicals before it even arises. Only then do antioxidants come into play.
From the crucible: what has actually been proven
When it comes to antioxidant skincare, there’s a lot of marketing hype about. Let’s stick to what the studies actually show – and that’s primarily a trio: vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid.
Vitamin C, in its active form as L-ascorbic acid, not only neutralises free radicals, but is also a building block that the skin needs to produce collagen. Together with vitamin E quadrupled Studies have shown that it protects the skin against UV damage. When ferulic acid was added, the effect doubled once again, to around eight times the original level – and UV-induced damage to genetic material was measurably reduced. On living skin This protection was confirmed.
One point that is often overlooked: these serums are no substitute for sun cream. They work alongside it, trapping the UV rays that still manage to get through despite the cream.
And a practical tip, because vitamin C is a real diva: it breaks down quickly and is only effective in an acidic environment. Whether the jar actually contains what the label promises depends heavily on the formulation and light-proof packaging. Two other ingredients that have earned their reputation are niacinamide and the copper peptide GHK-Cu – although, in a poorly formulated product, GHK-Cu can actually have the opposite effect and even generate free radicals. Quality here is not a luxury, but a prerequisite.
On the plate: good, but with a clear limit
Your skin thrives not only on what you put on it, but also on what ends up on your plate. Carotenoids and polyphenols from fruit and vegetables enhance demonstrably the threshold, as UV radiation irritates the skin, and they trigger the same NRF2 defence mechanism that we discussed earlier. In a study involving people who work outdoors in a heavily polluted city, a polyphenol supplement even measurably reduced environment-induced oxidative stress.
The rule of thumb is delightfully simple: as many colours as possible on your plate.
- Berries – Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries: rich in anthocyanins and vitamin C
- Green tea: provides EGCG, one of the most extensively studied plant-based antioxidants
- Colourful vegetables – Carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes: carotenoids, including lycopene
- Dark leafy vegetables – Spinach, kale: lutein and vitamin C
- Nuts, seeds, avocado and good-quality olive oil: Vitamin E and healthy fats
- Dark chocolate, grapes, pomegranate: Polyphenols
- Rotten fish – Salmon, Mackerel: Omega-3 for silent inflammation
So far, so good. Now for the limit that is rarely mentioned in any guide. As convincing as antioxidants from food are, the effect of a high-dose pill not only vanishes, it can be reversed. Beta-carotene, a protective substance from carrots, has in smokers, as a synthetic supplement in high doses, Lung cancer risk increased. Large studies find no benefit for such high-dose supplements, quite the opposite. The reason is actually logical: In food, these substances come in low doses, in a team and with the right partners. Isolated and overdosed, the helper quickly becomes a troublemaker. Eat the colours – don't rely on the pill here.
What we do for that in the clinic
Some antioxidants can be delivered more specifically to where they are needed than cream and diet alone can achieve.
At the NCTF Mesotherapy We're channelling a cocktail of active ingredients directly into the skin – with glutathione, the body's own master antioxidant, and a whole bundle of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and coenzymes to go with it. HydraFacial delivers its antioxidants in the final step, when the skin is most receptive. And Dermalux gives cells with red and near-infrared light the impulse to repair themselves.
What counts in the end
You won't get rid of oxidative stress completely – and that's not the goal anyway. What matters is keeping the burden low and strengthening your defences. Protect your skin from what creates free radicals, especially UVA rays. Give it well-made antioxidants from the outside. Eat the colours instead of swallowing pills. And give it the rest it needs, without which no repair can happen – sleep is more a part of skincare than many people think.
How much sugar is involved in this, incidentally, keyword glycation, is a story in itself – we'll tackle that in a separate post.
Unsure where your skin is at right now?
In a free AURA 3D skin analysis, we look into the deeper layers and find out where your skin most urgently needs protection and support. Book your free AURA 3D skin analysis in Zurich now.
Was ist oxidativer Stress für die Haut?
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between free radicals and the body's own defence. Free radicals are unstable molecules that steal an electron from cellular building blocks, damaging them in the process – the same oxidation that turns a cut apple brown, only in your skin. As long as the skin's own antioxidants keep pace, you won't notice anything; if the balance tips, damage occurs.
Oxidative stress accelerates skin ageing by damaging cells, including collagen and elastin, leading to wrinkles, sagging, and a loss of firmness.
Free radicals have a twofold effect on the dermis: they activate the enzymes that break down collagen and elastin, while simultaneously inhibiting the formation of new collagen. More breakdown, less replenishment. On top of this, there are aging cells, a silent inflammation, and faster pigment formation – visible as fine lines, reduced elasticity, a tired complexion, and blemishes.
Do antioxidant creams replace sun cream?
No. Topical antioxidants like Vitamin C, E, and ferulic acid complement sun protection; they don't replace it. They trap the free radicals that still form despite sunscreen. The best-documented combination is of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and ferulic acid, which significantly enhances the skin's UV protection and reduces UV-induced DNA damage.
Should I take antioxidants as a supplement?
Antioxidants work well from food, but not as a high-dose single pill. Synthetic beta-carotene in high doses has even increased the lung cancer risk in smokers, and large analyses find no benefit from such supplements. In food, these substances are low-dose and combined; isolated and overdosed, an antioxidant can have the opposite effect.
Welche Lebensmittel helfen bei oxidativem Stress?
Variety on your plate: berries and green tea, colourful vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin and tomatoes, dark leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, avocado and good-quality olive oil, along with dark chocolate, grapes and pomegranate, as well as omega-3 from oily fish. Carotenoids and polyphenols have been shown to raise the skin’s UV threshold and strengthen its natural defences.
Was kann man in der Klinik gegen oxidativen Stress tun?
With NCTF mesotherapy, we deliver glutathione – the body's master antioxidant – along with vitamins, amino acids, and minerals directly into the skin. A HydraFacial introduces antioxidants through its final step, and Dermalux uses red and near-infrared light to support cell repair. A complimentary AURA 3D skin analysis will show where your skin needs the most support.
