source:flickr by:rogiro

Antioxidant Ingredient Close-up: Coffee Berry Extract

What’s the one antioxidant that’s supposed to provide the best protection against UVA rays, UVB rays and age-accelerating free radicals? Nope, it’s not pomegranate, blueberry, acai or goji, but a relatively new antioxidant skin care ingredient: coffee berry extract, known by its proprietary name, CoffeeBerry. In fact, CoffeeBerry can contain 15,000 to 17,500 ORAC units, higher than even green tea antioxidant.

Coffee berries are the delicate, cherry-like fruit of the coffea arabica plant. It is inside the coffee berries that our coffee beans — which are actually seeds — are found. Because coffee berries are so fragile and perishable, their flesh was always discarded during the harvesting of the coffee berry seeds. However, since the discovery of the coffee berry’s exceptional antioxidant benefits, the flesh of the berries has become as prized as the seeds.

It is believed that coffee berries are so rich in antioxidant polyphenols because they grow near the equator in harsh conditions at high altitudes. Here, the sun’s rays are exceptionally strong, providing a heavy dose of oxidation to the plants. In order to survive, the plants must create natural antioxidants to protect themselves against free radicals. Coffee berry plants make many polyphenols and phenolic acids, including ferulic acid, chlorogenic acid, quinic acid, and proanthocyanidina.

CoffeeBerry is used as an anti aging skin care treatment by only a handful of skin care companies, including Revaleskin and Priori. As a skin antioxidant, CoffeeBerry neutralizes oxidizing radicals in order to prevent collagen damage, reduce wrinkles, and protect against other sun-related damages. In addition, CoffeeBerry may provide anti-inflammatory actions, a benefit which can further reduce the appearance of visible signs of aging.

Clearly, CoffeeBerry is an ingredient you’d like to see in your antioxidant skin care products. Paired with other CoffeeBerry products or a solid anti-aging beauty care regimen featuring other antioxidant sources, CoffeeBerry is sure to provide you with visible anti-aging benefits, including fewer wrinkles and signs of sun damage.

source: flickr by: tim7423

Green tea is a true wonder food. It boosts the metabolism, helps reduce dental plaque, promotes energy, and is believed to have anti-cancer properties. In addition, it supplies antioxidants to the entire body, which helps boost the immune system, neutralize free radicals, enhance skin health, and more. In fact, it’s the green tea antioxidants that are now believed to help reduce hair disorders such as hair loss!

The catechins (antioxidants) in green tea target hair loss in three important ways.

1. Green tea catechins inhibit 5-alpha-reductase. 5-alpha-reductase is the enzyme that converts free testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT), the main contributing factor in male pattern baldness, and one of the many factors in female pattern baldness.
2. Green tea intake correlates to higher globulin levels, a protein that binds sex hormones so that they cannot be used directly by tissues. When free testosterone is bound by globulin, it reduces the amount of free testosterone available to be converted into dihydrotestosterone, thereby reducing the amount of DHT created by the body.
3. Green tea enhances and encourages healthy circulation, which directly benefits the hair by carrying nutrients and oxygen to the hair follicles.

On top of the anti-hair loss benefits provided by green tea hair care products, the inclusion of green tea in your shampoo and conditioner will gently remove impurities and provide beauty-promoting nutrients to all hair types.

No conclusive clinical studies have been published on the effects of green tea on hair loss; however, the scientific evidence speaks for itself. It may take up to 6-12 months to see results on a green tea hair care regimen, so patience is required.

Hair products formulated with green tea can be boosted by drinking green tea or taking green tea dietary supplements, a habit that will also supply the health benefits mentioned above. Look at it this way: using green tea for your overall health may be able to maintain the health, beauty and thickness of your hair. It’s certainly worth a try! After all, what do you have to lose?

source:flickr by:def110

Antioxidant Ingredient Close-up: Resveratrol

I recently wrote about the great antioxidant duo of wine and chocolate, but only vaguely touched on resveratrol, the component responsible for wine’s exceptional antioxidant benefits. Resveratrol is a truly remarkable ingredient that deserves its very own post, so that’s exactly what I’m giving you today!

Resveratrol is a unique natural skin care ingredient that’s found in grape vines. The antioxidant ingredient resveratrol is what’s responsible for grape vines being able to live and produce fruit for centuries! Resveratrol is an extremely precious skin care ingredient, due both to its exceptional capabilities, and its rarity; it takes one entire ton of grape vine shoots to extract one kilogram of resveratrol. Found highly concentrated in red wine, resveratrol is what makes controlled consumption of red wine a great way to improve your health.

Harvard’s Department of Medicine has called resveratrol the best anti-aging molecule, and for good reason! It is believed that resveratrol is what allows French people to lead longer, healthier lives than cultures with lower red wine consumption. (The French also have much lower incidences of heart disease than peoples who only drink wine on occasion.) In addition, resveratrol has been studied as a way to protect against cancer, radiation, neurodegenerative disease, and more!

In anti-aging skin care, resveratrol has been proven in clinical studies to be an effective way to improve skin denseness, firmness, and fibroblast multiplication. It also boosts cellular renewal (exfoliation), supports collagen and elastin production, and prolongs the life expectancy of skin cells by up to 160%. All of these skin antioxidant actions work together to create a healthier and younger-seeming skin texture while reducing the feel and appearance of deep wrinkles and fine lines.

Very few antioxidant products or anti-aging products contain resveratrol due to the exclusiveness of the ingredient. Caudalie, the skin care company that discovered resveratrol’s skin anti-aging abilities, holds the exclusive patent on the extraction and stabilization of grapevine resveratrol. Thankfully, Caudalie is an exceptional skin care company, even without the generous credibility boost provided by resveratrol. For extreme anti-aging benefits, choose a Caudalie anti wrinkle treatment formulated with resveratrol from the Vinexpert line, a comprehensive regimen for mature skin types.

source: flickr by:abdallah

Glutathione: The Skin-Whitening Antioxidant

Glutathione is a naturally occurring tripeptide antioxidant that helps protect our cells from free radicals and other forms of oxidative stress. Known as ‘The Master Antioxidant‘, glutathione is present in almost every single cell of the human body, and is sometimes even used to determine one’s lifespan. Glutathione levels decrease as we age, resulting in weaker defenses against free radical and oxidative damages.

In addition to its essential life-supporting role, glutathione is also an effective skin whitening agent. Glutathione taken internally can only whiten and brighten the complexion after the body’s natural glutathione stores have reached their threshold. However, it can also be applied topically via antioxidant skin care products to reduce age spots, hyperpigmentation and other forms of discoloration. Targeting pigmentation concerns from both the inside and outside will yield optimized results, though either route will improve the appearance of the skin.

Glutathione whitens the skin by inhibiting the natural enzyme tyrosinase. Tyrosinase is responsible for catalyzing the production of melanin within the skin, which is what leads to discolorations such as age spots, freckles, and more severe forms of hyperpigmentation. Broken down into simple terms, more glutathione means less tyrosinase. Less tyrosinase means less melanin, which equals reduced instances of hyperpigmentation. Glutathione also offers the anti-aging skin care bonus of reducing fine lines, wrinkles and other visible signs of aging.

Proper use of glutathione will promote a younger-looking complexion complete with youthful coloring and radiance. Compared to other whiteners, such as hydroquinone, glutathione is a much safer, gentler choice, making it perfect for those with sensitive skin, or for those who want to whiten their skin without the side effects associated with harsh bleaching. Look for antioxidant products containing L-glutathione, the chirally correct form of The Master Antioxidant.

Remember, using a skin care product containing L-glutathione will provide great results in 4-12 weeks time, though the added benefit of taking L-glutathione internally will only help. In addition, glutathione is being researched as a treatment for many serious illnesses, including cancer, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, infertility, and even HIV and Autism! With that kind of potential, it only makes sense to add glutathione to your daily antioxidant diet.

source:flickr by:daniel y. go

Antioxidant Ingredient Close-Up: Green Tea

Weight issues, acne, poor health, oxidation damage; these are just a few of the things green tea antioxidants can improve. Green tea has long been used as a multi-tasking “healer” in Asian cultures, and has more recently become a staple of many American diets. It has been said that drinking green tea will help prevent one from aging, which sounds more far-fetched than it actually is. What’s green tea’s anti-aging secret? Antioxidants, of course!

Green tea contains particularly potent antioxidants known as a catechins. The catechins found in teas, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), are also responsible for green and white tea’s antimicrobial effects and suspected anti-cancer abilities. When taken internally, green tea is able to improve overall health while boosting metabolism and protecting against a wide variety of illnesses. When used topically, green tea is able to provide similar benefits to the skin, including:

• Protection against free radicals
• Reduced visible signs of aging and damage
• Protection against sunburn
• Skin cell rejuvenation
• Inflammation prevention
• Anti-acne benefits
• Anti-psoriasis benefits
• Anti-dandruff benefits
• Skin lightening abilities
• Suspected anti-skin cancer abilities

Green tea is also very calming and soothing, making it a wonderful skin care treatment for conditions such as rosacea. All skin care product types, such as cleansers, moisturizers and treatment products, can be found with green tea as an ingredient, making it easy to build a regimen based on green tea’s extensive benefits. Plus, green tea rarely causes undesired side effects, such as irritation, which means you can use as much or as little as you like without worrying about redness, inflammation or itching.

If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to improve your health, skin and body all at once (who isn’t?), then simply replace your coffee, black tea or soda with a mug of strong green tea. Add honey or lemon to alter the flavor, and possibly even improve green tea’s beneficial aspects. Don’t forget to slather on your green tea antioxidant cream to reduce fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and dullness! With a new green tea regimen, youthful beauty and wellness is just around the corner.

source:flickr by:avlxyz

What’s in Your Mug?

Whether it’s tea or coffee, most Americans are loathe to drive to work without something warm and awakening in their travel mugs. For years, coffee has received a bad rap for its tendency to cause nervousness, jitters, rapid heartbeat, stomach pains, elevated blood pressure levels, and higher cholesterol levels when consumed in excess. However, more and more studies show that coffee’s antioxidant levels may provide as many benefits as those found in antioxidant green tea, white tea, and black tea.

A study published by Dr. Joe Vinson, a chemistry professor at the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania, stated that coffee is the leading source of antioxidants in the average American diet. You read that right, folks! While coffee may not be the highest on the ORAC scale, most Americans receive the highest amount of their daily antioxidant intake through their morning cup of joe – up to 1,299 milligrams! Unfortunately, while this means coffee is providing us with anti-aging benefits, it also means that Americans still aren’t eating enough fresh fruits and vegetables, which are healthier sources of antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients.

Coffee is also being studied for its ability to protect against liver and colon cancer, Parkinson’s disease, cavities, and type 2 diabetes. While much more research needs to be done in order to fully know coffee’s risks and benefits, it is clear that, when consumed in moderation, coffee is a great contributor to one’s health and general well-being.

Like coffee, tea is a favorite morning beverage. Tea is available in thousands of variates, and known for its soothing, comforting, and rejuvenating abilities. Green tea has long been touted for its high antioxidant levels, but green tea’s antioxidants are actually surpassed by those found in white tea. Black tea comes in last place for antioxidant levels, most likely due to the fermentation process. Though white tea does have higher antioxidant levels, green tea is still the front-runner for improving one’s overall health. Green tea can help burn excess fat, reduce one’s risk of cancer, and help prevent inflammation.

So, which is better? Even with coffee’s relatively new-found redeeming qualities, tea is still a healthier choice. However, coffee does provide antioxidants and other benefits, so don’t give up your morning jolt if you don’t want to! Whether you’re a steadfast tea drinker or a hardcore coffee lover, you have skin antioxidant options, too. While tackling free radicals internally, try Juara’s Invigorating Coffee Scrub or Green Tea Botanicals’ Anti-Aging Calming Serum with Peptides. These skin care products, as well as other products containing tea or coffee ingredients, will improve and protect your skin with antioxidants while supplying targeted actions against visible signs of aging and damage.

source:flickr by:Arlo Bates

A History of Antioxidants

Before antioxidant skin care and daily antioxidant supplements, there was the prevention of metal corrosion and rubber vulcanization. Antioxidants have been around long before today’s beauty care products and pomegranate-acai beverages became popular, and they’ll continue to provide benefits after the antioxidant craze dies down. Ever wonder how antioxidants became known as one of the greatest anti-aging tools we have at our fingertips? Here’s a brief history of antioxidants from its first uses to today’s antioxidant-infused world.

Antioxidants were used by engineers in the 19th century to prevent metal from corroding and rubber from vulcanizing, thereby saving millions of dollars in materials every year. However, it wasn’t until the 20th century that the same principals were successfully applied to biotechnology, a feat that would change the course of history.

During the mid-20th century, scientists set out to lengthen the life of foods. Using foods high in unsaturated fat, the scientists applied antioxidants and found that they were able to prevent rancidity. As the scientists continued to study the effects of antioxidants on foods, they discovered that many of the essential nutrients consumed by humans on a daily basis were actually antioxidants! It was then that one man who would later be known as “the father of the free radical theory of aging” set out to study the effects of free radicals and antioxidants on human aging.

In 1954, Denham Harman became a research associate at Donner Laboratory of Medical Physics at UC Berkeley. Harman quickly set out to study the puzzle aging and its causes. After four months of dead-ends, Harman considered the role of free radicals in aging. Like most new ideas or discoveries, the theory was initially scoffed at by Harman’s peers. Regardless, Harman was able to get his findings published in the Journal of Gerontology, and his article is now an often cited piece of science.

Thanks to the engineers of the 19th century, and scientists like Denham Harman, we now know that antioxidants are able to improve our health and quality of life. When used in skin care products, antioxidants are able to prevent visible signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles, which indeed helps us appear younger and healthier. Perhaps the Fountain of Youth exists after all, filled to the brim with antioxidants.

source:flickr by:ynse

Can Antioxidants Prevent Skin Cancer?

Antioxidants are promoted for many uses, including everything from general health to anti-aging benefits. But, what about skin cancer? It’s a legitimate question; basal cell carcinoma, a skin cancer, is the most common form of cancer, affecting over one million people each year in the US alone. Similarly, melanoma, a less common form of skin cancer, can be one of the most lethal types of cancer.

Sun-caused ultraviolet damage is the leading cause of skin cancer. The American Cancer Society states that, “Many of the more than 1 million skin cancers diagnosed each year could be prevented with protection from the sun’s rays.” When excessive (more than 15 minutes) or cumulative unprotected sun exposure occurs, the sun’s UV rays damage the DNA within the skin. The body will try to repair the damage before mutation occurs and cancer develops. However, sometimes a person’s body is unable to repair the UV damage, which results in visible signs of damage, such as sun spots, wrinkles and loss of elasticity, as well as skin cancer.

Sunscreen and protective clothing, such as hats, go a long way in preventing sun damage and therefore skin cancer. But, what if we could add antioxidants to our arsenal? Many studies found that antioxidant foods and antioxidant skin care products would certainly help protect the skin against cancer-inducing damage.

To know if antioxidants are a worthwhile method for preventing, and even treating, skin cancer, we first have to understand how skin cancer is formed. Thymine is a base pair that forms some of the blocks in the double-helix of everyone’s DNA. Ultraviolet radiation binds thymines together to form thymine dimers. When thymine dimers occur, the body splits them up again with a cellular process. However, when the thymine dimers get split up, there’s a chance for mutation, which can become cancerous.

Research into the effects of antioxidant vitamins on sun damage has shown that vitamins C and E can drastically reduce the severity of sunburn, which, in turn, reduces the number of thymine dimers created. With less thymine dimers around, there’s a smaller chance of cancerous mutation occurring.

So far, there’s only been one topical antioxidant product clinically proven to reduce the incidence of thymine dimers. Based on five years of extensive research, Phloretin CF by SkinCeuticals protects against free radicals and other mutation-causing molecules while also repairing damage by stimulating protein and fiber synthesis and boosting skin cell turnover. Although Phloretin CF is the only skin care product clinically proven to have a direct result on thymine dimers, it’s certainly not the only one. Products containing proper concentrations of stabilized vitamins C and E will offer wonderful antioxidant protection against the environmental damage that can lead to thymine dimers and other forms of damage.

source:flickr by:Werner Kunz (werkunz1)

Antioxidant Skin Care for the Smoker

Smoking is terrible for one’s health. Everyone knows it, though many choose to ignore this fact and continue smoking due to stress, habit, addiction, social pressure or simply the enjoyment of the cigarette itself. In addition to increased risk of heart attacks, stroke and cancer caused by smoking cigarettes, the skin is greatly compromised by each and every puff of smoke. In fact, cigarette smoke is one of the main causes of premature skin aging, second only to sun damage. How can a smoker help reduce these smoke-induced visible signs of aging? In addition to kicking the habit, smokers (and ex-smokers) should use an antioxidant-rich skin care regimen to help repair the damage left behind by cigarettes.

With each inhalation of cigarette smoke, more than a trillion free radicals are created in the lungs. These free radicals cause an inflammatory response that then travels through the body, leaving damage in its wake. Plus, the smoke contains over 4,000 toxins that enter into the bloodstream and circulate through the body, including the skin’s structure. When a cigarette is smoked, it causes constricting of the blood vessels in the upper layers of the skin, thereby reducing the quality of circulation and diminishing the amount of oxygen and nutrients delivered to the skin.

Each cigarette smoked destroys up to 35mg of vitamin C, an unstable antioxidant vitamin that cannot be produced by the body. Vitamin C is responsible for preserving the collagen within the skin. In addition to killing the vitamin C, cigarette smoke also destroys collagen itself. Collagen keeps the skin looking plump and smooth, both youthful, beautiful qualities. With the body’s vitamin C stores destroyed, the skin begins to thin, sag and wrinkle, leading to the condition known as “smoker’s face“. Cigarette smoke also destroys another antioxidants vitamin — vitamin A. Vitamin A is essential to the prevention of damage to the skin. With reduced vitamin A levels, the skin is more prone to external damage, again leading to premature signs of aging.

The term “smoker’s face” was added to the medical dictionary in 1985. Characteristics of this condition include deep lines and wrinkles, thin skin texture, gauntness of the features, and gray or yellow skin tone. Unsurprisingly, none of these terms have ever been synonymous with beauty. Thankfully, there are many antioxidant skin care products created to help reduce these signs of damage in order to re-create a healthy, youthful appearance.

Whether you quit smoking years ago, are trying to quit right now (congratulations!), or somehow still choose to smoke despite the numerous health risks, antioxidant products can help you reduce fine lines and wrinkles, improve collagen production and protect against future damage. One of the leading skin care products for smokers is UnDamage, a line specially developed for treating the signs of “smoker’s face”. Aside from UnDamage, any antioxidant foods or skin antioxidants will be beneficial in your quest for healthier, more beautiful and younger-looking skin.

Chirally Correct Skin Care

In the world of beauty products, there are many hot phrases and odd terms used to educate, entice and even confuse the customer. You may have heard about important delivery systems, must-have ingredients and, of course, antioxidants; but, have you ever heard about chirality and its importance in skin care?

The word chiral (sounds like “spiral”) is derived from the Greek word for hand and is a mathematical approach to the concept of handedness. The term chiral is used to describe something that is non-superposable on its mirror image, which means that the object or objects can never be identical to their mirror image. Sound confusing? You’re not the only one who thinks so. An easier way to understand chirality is to take a look at your hands, which are possibly the best accessible example of chirality. No matter how you position or orient your hands, the major features of the hands will never coincide.

Chirality in chemistry almost always refers to molecules. In a chiral molecule, the two mirror images are usually known as optical isomers and labeled as right- and left-handed. These isomers have different effects on your body and skin. One isomer will provide benefits, while the other will either be disposed of by the body or even cause harm. In some cases, the isomers will cancel each other out completely. This is why some expensive, seemingly well-formulated skin care products don’t supply the results you expect of them! If the formulation isn’t chirally correct, your skin care beauty product could be neutralized even before you apply it, or, even worse, actually damage the skin.

When an antioxidant skin care product, or any other skin care product for that matter, is chirally correct, it means that the company manufacturing the product has actually isolated the separate optical isomers and included only the beneficial isomer in the formulation. By doing this, your skin receives all the benefits of the ingredient without any of the side effects. Chirally correct skin care products can even be used by sensitive skin types as the irritation-causing isomers aren’t in the formulations!

Chirally correct ingredients can be easily distinguished as they always feature either an L- or D- at the beginning of their name. For instance, L-ascorbic acid is the chirally correct form of vitamin C. It provides all of the benefits of an antioxidant vitamin without the side effects seen with achiral (not chiral) vitamin C. While many skin care brands use chirally correct ingredients, there are only three lines that promise each of their formulations to be completely chirally correct: CosMedix, PCA Skin and Sircuit Skin.

Chirality in antioxidant skin care products is key. Even if a product is absolutely filled with antioxidant ingredients, achiral molecules could cause so many free radicals that the benefits of the product are never seen.