The Importance of Antioxidants and Benefits for the Skin: Here’s a Guide for Newbies

I write so you share. Thank you.

It happened in Covent Garden, London. I walked into Deciem’s store, eager to pick up some new skincare, when curiosity got the better of me. I turned to the shop assistant and asked, “What are antioxidants, and why does my skin need them?”

The look on her face was kind, but it made me realise: Shouldn’t I already know this? She explained patiently. I nodded. But honestly? I didn’t get it.

All I could take away was, “They protect you from the air,” which sounded vague at best. I knew I’d forget it in no time.

Since then, the word antioxidants has popped up again and again in my life. So today, I’m taking matters into my own hands. I’m writing the simple, no-fluff guide I needed back then.

If you’re just stepping into the world of natural skincare (and feeling a little lost in the jargon), this one’s for you.

Let’s crack the code together.

Skincare expert Paula Begoun almost immediately downgrades a product on Beautypedia if it doesn’t contain antioxidants. ~ Source

What Are Antioxidants, and Why Does Your Skin Need Them?

Ever wondered why every skincare product seems to rave about antioxidants? What are they? Are they really that important? And how on earth do they help your skin?

Let’s break it down.

Imagine your skin is living in a rough neighbourhood—pollution, stress, and sunlight are constantly throwing punches. They create tiny troublemakers called free radicals. These guys roam around, messing with your skin’s natural structure. The result? Dullness, fine lines, and a general “meh” vibe.

Here’s where antioxidants step in. They’re like the peacekeepers. They neutralise those free radicals, stopping them before they cause chaos. In fact, they don’t just stop damage—they also help your skin stay smooth, healthy, and glowing.

So no, antioxidants aren’t just marketing hype. They’re your skin’s secret weapon against a world that’s out to get it. Handy, right?

Here’s Antioxidant’s and Free Radicals Explained Simply

We’re constantly exposed to harmful factors like pollution, unhealthy diets, and stress. These trigger a process in the body called oxidation, where molecules lose an electron. This creates unstable molecules known as free radicals.

Free radicals don’t like being incomplete, so they steal electrons from other molecules around them. This “theft” causes damage to cells and tissues.

This is where antioxidants step in as the heroes. They neutralise free radicals by willingly donating one of their electrons—without becoming unstable themselves. In doing so, they stop the chain of damage and help keep your body and skin healthy.

From pollution, bad diet, etc we’re exposed to toxic chemicals > oxidation occurs in the body > molecules miss an electron > free radicals are formed > they steal an electron from surroundings (causing damage) > anti-oxidants neutralise free radicals by voluntarily giving one of their electrons without hurting themselves.

Well, I understand that.

**Note that oxidation is important, otherwise nothing would degrade or decompose…

Example of Antioxidants in Food and Herbs

According to Draxe, here are the top 10 antioxidants in food:

1. Goji berries: 4,310 ORAC score
2. Wild blueberries: 9,621 ORAC score
3. Dark chocolate: 20,816 ORAC score
4. Pecans: 17,940 ORAC score
5. Artichoke (boiled): 9,416 ORAC score
6. Elderberries: 14,697 ORAC score
7. Kidney beans: 8,606 ORAC score
8. Cranberries: 9,090 ORAC score
9. Blackberries: 5,905 ORAC score
10. Cilantro: 5,141 ORAC score

And, again, according to Draxe, these are the top 10 antioxidants in herbs (although I believe cilantro, mentioned above, is a herb):

1. Clove: 314,446 ORAC score
2. Cinnamon: 267,537 ORAC score
3. Oregano: 159,277 ORAC score
4. Turmeric: 102,700 ORAC score
5. Cocoa: 80,933 ORAC score
6. Cumin: 76,800 ORAC score
7. Parsley (dried): 74,349 ORAC score
8. Basil: 67,553 ORAC score
9. Ginger: 28,811 ORAC score
10. Thyme: 27,426 ORAC score

**ORAC value has been provided by Superfoodly. ORAC means ‘Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity’. I’ve also read that it is still debatable wether eating superfoods actually helps. If interested, more here.

Now Let’s Look at Why our Skin Needs Antioxidants

You wake up, cleanse, moisturise, step outside—and bam! Pollution, sunlight, stress—they’re all ganging up on your skin. You might not see the damage right away, but it’s happening.

Luckily, antioxidants are here to save the day. What can they do for your skin? Let’s break it down:

• Brighten your skin: Say goodbye to dullness and hello to a natural glow.
• Even out skin tone: Antioxidants can fade dark spots and improve texture.
• Support collagen: They protect your skin’s elasticity, keeping it firm and smooth.
• Soothe irritation: Many antioxidants calm redness and inflammation.
• Strengthen your defences: They help your skin fight back against everyday damage.

Basically, antioxidants are like an all-in-one skincare upgrade. Who wouldn’t want that?

I love this quote by Michelle, from labmuffin.com:

[…] since your skin is the main interface between you and the outside world, that’s where free radicals form in the greatest amounts. ~ Source

No doubt the skin is in contact with air all of the time. “The main interface”, as she puts it.

Here’s another interesting paragraph from the same source:

[…] sun exposure should be one of your biggest skincare concerns, and free radicals are a big part of the reason. Free radicals form in your skin within 15 minutes of exposure to UV, and continues for up to an hour afterwards. Sun damage from UVA exposure is largely from free radical damage, and since UVA penetrates into the dermis, free radical damage can occur quite deeply in the skin. UVB can also produce free radicals too. ~ Source

More here, now from dermaroller.co.uk:

[…] antioxidants are essential in helping to protect your skin from the unavoidable damaging effects of the environment. Antioxidants protect the skin from the damaging effects of the sun, the biggest cause of premature skin ageing and skin cancer. They also prevent scarring, calm the skin and brighten a dull complexion.. ~ Source

Which brings me back to the first quote used in this article:

Skincare expert Paula Begoun almost immediately downgrades a product on Beautypedia if it doesn’t contain antioxidants. ~ Source

What this means to me is that basically all (or most) beauty products should contain antioxidants. Simple enough.

Let’s have a look now at how antioxidants work in skincare products, natural antioxidants for the skin and benefits of antioxidants for your skin.

Antioxidants for Skin

According to webmd.com, these are the things that would work on the skin: Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, Coenzyme Q10, Alpha-lipoic acid, Retinoic acid.

I won’t talk about each of the above as there’s so much over the Internet about them (i.e. here). The idea is to just group them here so at least they’ve been mentioned.

Also, during my research, I actually came across a very interesting forum. One of the users points to the article mentioned above which clearly states that only Vitamin C can treat wrinkles:

“At present, topical antioxidants are marketed to prevent aging and UV-induced skin damage, as well as to treat wrinkles […]. However, currently, only vitamin C can actually treat wrinkles by influencing collagen formation through a mechanism other than antioxidation. For other products, their ability to improve wrinkles is either due to swelling or hydrating effects […] Hence, antioxidants can prevent wrinkles, but not treat them.”

As I understand it all other antioxidants improve wrinkles by ‘pumping the area’ (so more like a trick than a treatment if that makes sense). Please do correct me if I’m wrong.

What to Look for Regarding Antioxidants in Skincare

I’ve taken some of Michelle’s information and displayed it below in bulleted points – I find it extremely helpful!! (Thanks Michelle).

• The antioxidant needs to stay active in the product until you apply it
• The antioxidant also has to penetrate the skin
• Enough has to penetrate to make a difference
• The antioxidants with the most evidence supporting them are vitamins C and E, ferulic acid, green tea polyphenols and coenzyme Q10
• Combinations of antioxidants usually perform better
• Antioxidants should be applied before free radicals are formed (i.e. before you go into the sun)

Please check Michelle’s article and if you like any of the products she recommends you can purchase them using her links (I don’t know Michelle, but I can see the girl has written a post at length which is most definitely very helpful).

What I’m Using as a Newbie (with Affiliate Links)

As for me, I’m using The Ordinary’s Vitamin C Suspension 23%+ HA Spheres 2% and The Ordinary’s  Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. They’re both cheap and I LOVE THEM. Being a newbie at skincare in general I think this is a great start. (*Zinc also has antioxidant properties.)

I’ve been using both for about 3 weeks now together with other The Ordinary products. I’ll be adding Vitamin E to my homemade skincare/cosmetics so that’s already taken care of 🙂

I fell in love with The Ordinary products when I heard Nadine Baggott (Health and Beauty Editor HELLO! UK) rave about the products in her review video and, yes, I was well impressed. I recommend you watch it, if anything, for her contagious enthusiasm!

Here’s a link to the products pages so you can read about them:

>> Vitamin C Suspension 23%+ HA Spheres 2%>> Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

And here are the affiliate links:

**At no extra cost to you**

>> Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%>> Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Finally, here’s a guide to Vitamin C from the The Ordinary website:

>> Guide to Vitamin C​

**Jump to the General Vitamin C Guidance if you want to skip the products. It is a great read.

Final Thoughts

To me all of this is fun. I learn and apply but I’m not really ‘fighting’ anything. My new understanding about what the world is and how it works (read my ‘About‘ page) clearly shows me that the body is an emerging tool (in the ‘now’) so we can experience what is known as ‘life’.

Science and physics are subject to an overall, powerful Being (You!) who lives beyond the body and what happens to it, beyond time and beyond space (not as a belief or obscure reality available to just a few, but as an obvious, direct experience anyone can have). That’s why these topics are a lot of fun and something to enjoy – never a determining factor in terms of the happiness that is here, available, all of the time, to each one of us.

The 2 links I found most useful in the topic:

– Read Michelle’s article on how antioxidants work and why they’re good for your skin here.

– Very interesting article mentioned above regarding antioxidants in skincare formulation here.

Helpful Quotes If You’re Interested

To get started, here’s what happi.com says:

Antioxidants are natural substances made up of vitamins and minerals. They can counter “free radicals” that damage DNA, lipids and proteins.”

Time to learn what free radicals means (in layman’s terms, of course!). Here’s an explanation from healthiertalk.com that’s good enough for me to understand:

“Free radicals are created by oxidation. In excess they will accelerate your aging and lead to all sorts of negative health problems. They are simple molecules with an electron missing. In an effort to become ‘whole’ again they seek out other chemical structures in our bodies from where they can steal an electron.”

**According to healthertalk.com, as long as we breathe oxygen oxidation is unavoidable, thus the creation of free radicals will always continue. It reminds me of what happens when iron is exposed to air and water: it rusts! (oxidation takes place).

And here’s what happens with the problem of free radicals over time (source):

“The production of free radicals increases with age, while the endogenous defense mechanisms that counter them decrease. This imbalance leads to the progressive damage of cellular structures, and thus, results in accelerated aging.”