By now, we’re all aware that it’s an important and beneficial part of any skin care routine to combat oxidative stress by using products containing antioxidants. But does our understanding of the origin and function of antioxidants extend much beyond their reported ability to fend off free radicals and the signs of aging? 

It’s true that oxidative stress can lead to numerous skin concerns, including wrinkles, discoloration and problematic damage to our DNA. But oxidation is not always a bad thing in the human body: in fact, we depend on oxidizing carbohydrates and other plant matter we consume as part of our life-sustaining respiratory process. 

So why is it that oxidation is good in some cases but bad in others? And which antioxidants should we use to see the best effects on our skin? The answers take us to the source of many of the antioxidants found in today’s skin care products: the ecosystem of photosynthetic plants. 

The Antioxidant Properties of Plants 

It may seem counterintuitive, since plants create oxygen through photosynthesis, but they depend on antioxidants to stave off unwanted oxidation themselves. After all, plants need intact DNA and cell membranes in the same way humans do. Over the history of our ecosystem, as photosynthesis enriched the atmosphere with oxygen, botanical systems developed a number of antioxidant properties. This has turned out to be a beneficial development for us as skin care users. By choosing wisely which of these antioxidant materials to extract and include in our skin care products, we can enhance and fortify our own antioxidant supply from botanical sources. 

The Search for the Best Botanical Antioxidants 

Many skin care brands include antioxidants commonly derived from plants, including Vitamin E and ascorbic acid. At Skin Actives, we frequently rely on astaxanthin (found in our Sea Kelp Coral and elsewhere), a chemical similar to the pigment that gives coral its reddish hue. In coral, these pigments protect the organism from sun damage—just as astaxanthin serves as a powerful antioxidant in our own skin by aggressively scavenging free radicals. We also formulate regularly with ingredients like EGCG, quercetin and resveratrol, all of which can be sourced from botanical systems.

But we also go a step further. Science has shown us that antioxidant chemicals are only as effective as their purity and specific activity allows them to be. At Skin Actives, we offer high-purity, high-specific activity antioxidant proteins like thioredoxin, glutaredoxin and superoxide dismutase. These antioxidants are targeted to be exactly what the skin can and will use for maximum beneficial potential. They are also the key ingredients of our ROS* BioNet, a specialized network of antioxidant proteins working in synergy to relieve wrinkles, sunspots, elastosis and more. 

Antioxidant Products with the Highest Efficacy 

We can say confidently that Skin Actives is your best source for research-backed, efficacy-driven antioxidant products. Our antioxidant-rich offerings are too many to describe in this blog alone, but we can share a few highlights: 

Antioxidant Serum is a great place to start, featuring ROS* BioNet in solution with hyaluronic acid, stable Vitamin C and a host of botanically-sourced antioxidants. 

Our Moisturizing Antioxidant Day Cream provides a luxurious, easily layerable alternative, packed with collagen, hyaluronic acid and Sea Kelp Coral, that can be used in conjunction with sunscreen or other anti-aging products. 

Additionally, our entire lineup of Advanced Ageless products features ROS* BioNet, delivering our best-in-class antioxidant potential in a collection of ready-made, multi-use formulas.

And don’t forget that Skin Actives empowers you to boost the antioxidant properties of other products that you may use. Searching the DIY section of our web store will reveal many of the ingredients mentioned in this blog in purified, active form, include ROS* BioNet powder and our potent Antioxidant Booster. 

With this broad assortment of ready-made and DIY products available from Skin Actives, skin care users have all the latest and best tools at their disposal to combat oxidative stress.