Free radicals are the result of chemical reactions in the body and have a damaging need to feed off of other other molecules. From the moment the free radicals spring into existence, they search to find and rob another molecule of an electron to become balanced. This molecule can be a protein from a healthy strand of collagen or even DNA. And when it’s captured by the free radical, it triggers a chain reaction because by robbing another chemical of an electron, the free radical becomes stable, but the victim now finds itself with a new identity – a free radical.

These free radicals are in virtually all organs of the body and the skin, our largest organ, is no exception. In fact, it is in the skin where the highest concentrations of these rogue robbers of electrons can be found, and where the damage they cause becomes most apparent in the form of visible aging. Over time the free radical damage process leads to a severe impairment in the skin’s ability to replenish its lost collagen and to ward off further assault of free radicals, resulting in the progressive weakening and aging of the skin.

There are four main causes of free radicals in the skin:

1. Normal chemical processes, such as producing and using energy within the cell. These processes give off natural byproducts in the form of free radicals.
2. Unprotected exposure of the skin to the sun.
3. Applying products which are known to produce free radicals to the skin.
4. Pollution from environmental sources as well as poor diet, smoking and stress.

Though we can’t do anything about the first cause, we can deal with the subsequent three causes effectively and minimize the amount of non-essential free radical producing activity in the skin.

Step 1 – Sun protection: 

Ensuring that you apply a sun screen with an SPF of at least 30 to any exposed areas of skin before heading out the door will benefit your skin in more ways than you could imagine.

Step 2 – Boost your skins antioxidant defenses: 

Antioxidants are chemicals that stabilize free radicals by donating an electron to the free radical. The kicker here is that the antioxidant is able to do it without causing itself to become unstable. Boost your bodies antioxidant levels by eating a diet rich in essential anti-aging agents. However, it’s estimated that only 2-3% of the antioxidants consumed in food actually reach the skin due to the body’s demands for them in other areas. So applying a skin cream that is able to deliver antioxidants into the skin is also an essential part of any campaign against free radicals.

MitoQ is the world’s first antioxidant that delivers targeted antioxidant activity where it is most needed at the heart of the cell - the mitochondria.

Step 3 – Lifestyle, lifestyle, lifestyle:

Smoking, excessive drinking, poor stress management and a fundamental lack of exercise all coalesce to transform your body into a free radical producing empire. Adapting a healthy lifestyle is essential to anyone, especially those engaged in an anti-aging campaign, they are crucial. The laws of the body are simple, if you support it, it will support you.