Cut an apple in half and leave it on the chopping board. An hour later, the cut surface has turned brown. A bike that\u2019s been left outside over the winter starts to rust. Two everyday scenes, one and the same reaction: oxidation. And it\u2019s happening, quietly, in your skin too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Free radicals \u2013 unstable molecules missing an electron \u2013 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\u2019t notice a thing. If the radicals gain the upper hand, this is known as oxidative stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If you our latest posts<\/a> If you\u2019ve read this, you\u2019ll already be familiar with the term. UVA, infrared, visible light \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Free radicals aren\u2019t choosy. They attack anything that gets in their way \u2013 the cell\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There, they cause twofold damage. Firstly, they take out those Enzymes: spicy<\/a>, which act like tiny scissors to break down collagen and elastin \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Over the years, the connective tissue gradually thins out. This is accompanied by cells that go into a sort of \u2018retirement\u2019 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\u2019re all familiar with: fine lines, a loss of firmness, a tired complexion, and the odd blemish here and there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem isn\u2019t the system, but time. Over the years, this defence mechanism becomes sluggish, and when too many radicals advance at once, it simply overwhelmed<\/a>. That\u2019s why, as we get older, our skin needs more help from the outside \u2013 not because it\u2019s giving up, but because a bit of support does it good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There is a persistent misconception, and let\u2019s clear that up straight away: it\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some of it is produced quite naturally, simply because your cells are burning energy. This naturally occurring component is always present, and that\u2019s a good thing \u2013 you can\u2019t do without it entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The part you hold in your hand is more interesting. You\u2019re 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 \u2013 one of the most potent sources of free radicals of all, affecting the skin both from the outside and from the inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The beauty of the phrase \u00abin one\u2019s hands\u00bb is that it leaves room for action. More consistently UVA protection<\/a>, giving up cigarettes, cutting down on exhaust fumes a little wherever possible \u2013 this reduces the burden of free radicals before it even arises. Only then do antioxidants come into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When it comes to antioxidant skincare, there\u2019s a lot of marketing hype about. Let\u2019s stick to what the studies actually show \u2013 and that\u2019s primarily a trio: vitamin C, vitamin E and ferulic acid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/a> 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 \u2013 and UV-induced damage to genetic material was measurably reduced. On living skin<\/a> This protection was confirmed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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 \u2013 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The rule of thumb is delightfully simple: as many colours as possible on your plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n 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<\/a> 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 \u2013 don't rely on the pill here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some antioxidants can be delivered more specifically to where they are needed than cream and diet alone can achieve.<\/p>\n\n\n\n At the NCTF Mesotherapy<\/a> We're channelling a cocktail of active ingredients directly into the skin \u2013 with glutathione, the body's own master antioxidant, and a whole bundle of vitamins, amino acids, minerals, and coenzymes to go with it. HydraFacial<\/a> delivers its antioxidants in the final step, when the skin is most receptive. And Dermalux<\/a> gives cells with red and near-infrared light the impulse to repair themselves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You won't get rid of oxidative stress completely \u2013 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 \u2013 sleep is more a part of skincare than many people think.<\/p>\n\n\n\n How much sugar is involved in this, incidentally, keyword glycation, is a story in itself \u2013 we'll tackle that in a separate post.<\/p>\n\n\n\nWhat happens in the skin during this process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Your skin is fighting back \u2013 but its strength is waning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Where the radicals come from<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
From the crucible: what has actually been proven<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
On the plate: good, but with a clear limit<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What we do for that in the clinic<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What counts in the end<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Unsure where your skin is at right now?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n