Anti-oxidant creams, hot or hype?

Antioxidant cream

In my last post i described the benefit of antioxidants and what they do.
Just scroll back/down to read that.
Now this post is about getting these anti-oxidants in cosmetics for direct application to the skin.  Offcourse, you should be taking antioxidants as part of your diet or supplements, but there is also room for direct application to skin and hair.
I will concentrate on a very powerful group of antioxidants called Polyphenols, which are abundant in fruits like apples and green tea.
Two compounds are vital for youth and vitality of the skin:
Elastin and Collagen.
Elastin provides the elasticity of the skin and Collagen is the "filler" which makes skin look nice and plump.
And for the geeks among us, here is a simplified structure of the skin!

This is why a lot of celebrities go for collagen "filling".  As we age the level of collagen and elastin gradually reduces bringing on the appearance of wrinkles.
Unfortunately free radicals, which we discussed in the last post, are a chief culprit in the destruction of these two compounds.  And polyphenols prevent this damage.
So you can now see why it's a good idea to apply fruit/green tea extracts to skin.

Antioxidant cream; a challenge

But here is where the challenge begins. The way they are formulated is ABSOLUTELY crucial. The skin is a formidable barrier.  It blocks out anything which isn't the right size or with the right charge. Even if you manage to penetrate the skin, will your compound get to the deepest layers or just sit near the surface? I won't go into what makes a good formulation and what doesn't because that would be too technical.  But i can tell a lot, just by looking at the product itself and the list of the ingredients. The good news is, in most studies there was a significant improvement in skin hydration and smoothness after antioxidant cream use.  Green tea extract was particularly well studied. So the final message is; yes antioxidant creams/lotions should be part of your beauty regime. But only if you're getting the right formulation. I am actually looking to source a really great anti-oxidant cream myself, so i will let you know when i nail one that i am happy with. Till next time