Although antioxidants have been around skin since the beginning of man, antioxidant creams are a fairly new addition to the skin care market. This is a bit of a surprise if you consider that antioxidants are the key to maintaining skin young and healthy. How is this possible? Simple, free radicals tend to speed up the aging process, while antioxidants neutralize their effect and deter the aging process.

But, how effective can antioxidants be? How true are all the success stories written about them? Let's take a look.

Skin Care with Antioxidants

The aging process, UV radiation, smoking and pollution can all lead to the production of free radicals. If you're not sure what the word free radicals it's quite simple. Free radicals are molecules that are missing one electron or simply have an odd number of electrons. The problem with this scenario is that electrons exist in pairs and will steal electrons from other molecules to stabilize themselves.

This process begins a chain reaction which ends up damaging and even destroying molecules and, subsequently, cells. If enough cells are destroyed, the damage begins to show on your skin. This is also a sign that your skin is no longer performing the way it should be.

Antioxidants help neutralize the effect of radicals by sacrificing one of their own electrons. These substances are most often found in fruits, as a matter of fact, most antioxidant skin creams contain one or more of the following food derivatives: Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, flavanoids and polyphenols.

Vitamin A is great for treating the signs of aging while Vitamin C can be used to help increase skin healing and reduce pigmentation problems such as age spots. Vitamin E, however, acts as anti inflammatory.

Foods rich in Vitamin A, C and E

Fruits and vegetables that are a bright red, orange, or yellow are rich in Vitamin A. These foods include carrots, squash, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupes, peaches and apricots. You can also obtain Vitamin A from vegetables such as broccoli, kale and collard greens.

Vitamin C is obtained from all kinds of citrus fruits. Spinach and lettuce are also good sources of Vitamin C, along with, strawberries and tomatoes.

Nuts, seeds and whole grains are the main sources of Vitamin E. You can also attain if from different oils and big, leafy vegetables.

Foods Containing Flavonoids and Polyphenols

Flavonoids are found in grapes, red wine, pomegranates and cranberries while polyphenols, on the other hand, are mostly found in various types of teas.

In conclusion, adding certain foods to your diet and using an effective antioxidant cream will help you maintain skin healthy and young-looking.