Secrets of the Skin

Why the antioxidation?

The effects of oxidative stress on the skin are becoming increasingly apparent and extremely important in terms of health and beauty. Oxidative stress mechanisms can accelerate skin aging, leading to wrinkles, discoloration and loss of firmness. Understanding these processes opens the door to developing effective skin care strategies that can help maintain healthy and radiant skin for longer.

What is oxidative stress?

The skin is the largest human organ, responsible for about 10-15% of body weight. In addition to its protective, excretory, immune functions, it regulates body temperature and responds to external stimuli. Oxidative stress is one of the dangers to which the skin is exposed. It occurs when there is an overproduction of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the body. If not neutralized, they can damage key cellular elements such as lipids, proteins and DNA, leading to accelerated skin aging, inflammation and even cancer.

What causes oxidative stress?

Oxidative stress in the skin can be caused by internal and external factors. Environmental factors such as UV radiation, air pollution and HEV radiation have a big impact. They contribute to external aging and photoaging by generating ROS that damage DNA, proteins and lipids. This in turn promotes wrinkles, dry skin and loss of elasticity. Excess ROS can also increase the permeability of cell membranes, leading to inflammation and oxidative damage, considered one of the causes of skin cancer, including melanoma and other types of cancer.

What defense mechanisms does the skin have?

Organisms have developed a complex antioxidant defense system to counteract self-oxidation. It involves the interaction of multiple molecules with varying reducing power, called free radical scavengers. Intracellular antioxidant systems include:

• Small-molecule, non-enzymatic antioxidants – these act in a non-selective manner and include antioxidant vitamins such as vitamin C, E, coenzyme Q, carotenes, glutathione and trace elements. Most of these antioxidants are supplied to the body from the diet and localize in the cytoplasm or cell membrane.
• Enzymatic antioxidants – their molecules, such as catalase, glutathione peroxidase, or superoxide dismutase, act selectively against specific types of radicals, forming an integrated antioxidant system.

Although non-enzymatic antioxidants act on a wider range of free radicals, antioxidant enzymes are effective at eliminating specific types of radicals. The epidermis contains higher concentrations of antioxidants than the dermis, which is crucial to its protective function.

In healthy skin, there is a balance between the production of ROS and their neutralization by cellular antioxidant systems. However, if the overproduction of ROS exceeds the skin’s defense capabilities, antioxidant protection becomes necessary, both through a diet rich in antioxidants and through the use of external skin care products.