By Chew Soon Keong
The Star, Section 2, p. 10
Monday, July 30, 2001
Today, antioxidants in skincare have become widely accepted as the elixir of youth, slowing down and even reversing the formation of wrinkles, age spots, keloids, stretch marks and pigmentation. Age marks are the result of free radical damage, a situation easily reversible by antioxidant therapy. Similarly, free radical damage has been blamed for the decline in elastin and collagen formation, substances that make the skin moist, flexible and elastic. This can be neutralised by applying antioxidants directly on skin. Examples of natural antioxidants are vitamins A, C and E, beta carotene, co-enzyme Q-10, gingko biloba, and grape seed oil. Always use vitamin E in its natural form which is far superior than its cheaper, synthetic version. Natural vitamin E contains many grades of tocopherol - alpha, beta, delta and gamma. The best and most expensive grade with the highest potency is d-alpha tocopherol, which is 36 times more potent than synthetic vitamin E.
Oral or topical?For many of us who consume a variety of antioxidants in tablets, capsules and powdered drinks, is it necessary to apply a skincare product with antioxidants? Definitely. Although the antioxidants are good inside the body, they are absorbed by our organs and tissues leaving too little of it to reach the skin where it is needed to be effective. Direct application of antioxidants on the skin ensures that they are able to reduce scars, wrinkles, keloids, pigmentation and age marks. But continue taking antioxidants orally.
Importance of right dosageAt the right dose, antioxidants applied on the skin are usually very effective in reducing and reversing signs of ageing. Correct dosage of antioxidant in skincare products is just as important as correct dosage in medication. Usually manufacturers claim their product has one or two antioxidants without revealing their percentage. In such cases, the antioxidant dose is usually low. Sometimes manufacturers recommend consumers to use their product twice a day. However, there are consumers who use them only once a day or less frequently. In this case good results cannot be expected.
Antioxidants and free radicalsThe theory that antioxidants are useful anti-ageing agents was developed by Dr Denham Harman from the College of Medicine, University of Nebraska, in 1954. Dr Harman is also known as the father of free radicals. Free radicals are molecules either in our body or in the air that have lost an electron. This makes the free radical highly unstable. The free radical is very mobile and goes about stealing electrons from other molecules, usually within the living cells in the various organs of our body. The molecule that has lost an electron then becomes a free radical. This process is then repeated, creating a destructive chain reaction. These free radicals are not only found in tobacco smoke, polluted air and fried foods but also created by our body's metabolic processes. Imagine thousands of such free radicals both from our atmosphere and our own body's metabolism attacking healthy cells everyday. Over time, the cells get damaged or become abnormal. Substances that prevent the harmful effects of free radicals are known as antioxidants. These substances have an extra electron to donate to the free radical, stopping them from becoming harmful to our body cells. Antioxidants are sometimes called free radical scavengers, because they seek out free radicals in the body to neutralise them. In today's increasingly polluted environment, it is essential to have a strong dose of antioxidants for good health and skin.
Combination of antioxidants and essential fatty acids For stronger antioxidant action, sometimes two antioxidants can be combined to provide synergistic action. One such combination is vitamin E and grape seed oil. Vitamin E is usually very thick, viscous and oily whereas grape seed oil is light. Both are strong antioxidants. Grape seed oil also has a 70% concentration of the essential fatty acid, Enoleic acid, which improves cell growth by helping keratin migration to the epidermis. Thus, vitamin E and grape seed oil in combination are better than as a single agent. Also look out for these two agents in combination with other essential fatty acids like rose hip oil, jojoba and evening primrose oil for an even better effect to improve your skin.
· Chew Soon Keong is a pharmacist. For enquiries, e-mail: enquiries@goe.com.my or fax 03-2710 8277.
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