"Don't forget to slather on your antioxidants!" is advice that's on par with "Make sure you eat all your veggies!" and "Wear sunscreen!" Or at least it should be.
Antioxidants — which come from many sources — play an essential role in anyone's skin care regimen, no matter their age, gender or skin type. Consider them a beastly defense against free radicals, which can wreak havoc on your skin and lead to premature signs of aging, including fine lines, sunspots, laxity and uneven texture. After rinsing your face in the morning, apply your favorite toner followed by a cream or serum that's rich in antioxidants. (You can certainly apply antioxidants at night, but free radical damage — aka oxidation — is caused by pollutants and UV rays.) Follow up your antioxidant cream or serum with a dollop of sunscreen and your skin will seriously thank you.
This silky serum by No B.S. features not one, but two of skincare's biggest antioxidant stars — vitamins C and E. Juicy pomegranate, green tea and blueberry extract add to the antioxidant power to further heal, nourish, and protect skin while cica soothes and hyaluronic acid plumps and moisturizers.
Leave it to The Ordinary to develop a low-cost product that delivers high-potency antioxidants. Both resveratrol and ferulic acid are naturally occurring in plants — resveratrol is a phenol (The Ordinary sources theirs from Japanese Knotwood) and ferulic acid is a phytochemical that's found in plant cell walls. Note that this formulation contains a much higher concentration than what's usually found in skin care, so you're really getting good bang for your buck. You can apply straight to your face or mix with your favorite cream or serum for an antioxidant boost.
Nuria is one of the newest skin care kids on the block — it launched in November 2018 — and its forte is nontoxic, clean ingredients. The Defend Skin Restoring Serum is a simple formulation that features rooibos red tea and carrot seed oil, which are both high in antioxidants. The addition of hyaluronic acid keeps skin hydrated for a dewy finish. Bonus: this one works well as a makeup primer, too!
Peach & Lily's Pure Beam Luxe Oil kicks free radicals to the curb while imparting serious glow. It's a blend of rich and fatty oils, including jojoba, grape seed, camellia, sea buckthorn, and olus (a plant-based triglyceride blend), which hydrate, soften, regenerate and protect against free radicals. It also contains squalane, a plant-based oil that's super high in antioxidants, as well as vitamin E.
