Skin Saavy

The Low Down on Free Radical!

We use the words Free Radical a lot when we talk about Skin Care and Beauty, so what exactly is a Free Radical?

It all comes down to the science of atoms!  Atoms are all around us, and the best way to keep this in perspective is thinking about oxygen atoms, which are literally floating all around our bodies right now. Some atoms are unstable because they do not have all the pieces to be complete (unpaired electrons),so they go around attacking other atoms and cells to try to complete themselves.  These unstable atoms are Free Radicals.

How do Free Radicals Affect Us?

Free radicals are always attacking. When we are young, our cells have a natural force field that protects us. As time goes on and we grow older, our force fields lose their effectiveness and free radicals are more likely to affect us. This is known as “normal aging”. The loss of our natural barrier means we have to look for help and that would be ANTIOXIDANTS.

Antioxidants are everyone’s friend!  Antioxidants always have extra electrons to share with free radicals, thus eliminating their potential for damage! Some of the best nutritional antioxidants can be found in blueberries, oranges, goji berries, carrots, broccoli, and tomatoes. And for those who are not into their fruit and veggies – then you can get your antioxidants in coffee and chocolate too!

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