Tuesday, October 7, 2008

Antioxidants in Anti Aging Creams

By Julie Samtsonn

You probably have heard of anti-oxidants and free radicals, but do you know what they mean, what they are, how they affect the skin, or why anti-oxidants are discussed like a miracle drug in anti-aging and anti wrinkle creams? Well, it takes a fundamental uunderstanding of the aging and wrinkling process, so you can understand how anti-oxidants and free radicals affect the skin.

Skin cells break down and are then replaced naturally. Additional damage is caused by things like smoking, which strikes at the cell's DNA. Your skin cells will store a delicate balance of Vitamin A, Vitamin C and Vitamin E and when everything is in balance work together to maintain the skin's youthful appearance, oxidants and free radicals work against this delicate balance and combined with natural aging can encourage older-looking, wrinkled skin.

Oxidants are basically toxins or free radicals, so to fight these oxidants it makes sense to consume as many antioxidants as you can. This will help maintain that healthy vitamin balance, fighting dead, dry cells that manifest in the form of older or wrinkled skin.

In the anti-ageng cream circles they believe in a topical application of anti-oxidants, often used as a green tea extract. It has been discussed that in drinking green tea and black tea, a person can take in 10 times the anti-oxidants that can be found by eating fruit and vegetables. This has been shown when taken internally, but, by applying topically, it will probably have an affect on the skin cells that are on the surface or have absorbed these anti-oxidants.

Drinking a lot of green tea and black tea would still be the best way to fight oxidants, in fact, many people consume up to ten cups each day. Scientist have been able to show that green tea and black tea contain more antioxidants than other varieties like oolong tea. The youthfulness found in countries like China and Japan certainly back this up.

Anti aging creams are definitely banking on topical applications having a similar effect, but it's still very early as far results are concerned. Needless to say, though, makers of anti-aging or wrinkle cream are convinced that a topical application will have a similar effect on toxins, oxidants and free radicals.

It would seem that antioxidants as a cure or prevention in aging and wrinkling, could be more of an internal process, where it could be advised to drink green and black tea on a regular basis, since there is ten times the oxidants as found in equivalent measures of fruits and vegetables. It is unknown with certainty as to the benefits topically, other than short term.

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