Saturday, October 11, 2008

What Antioxidants Do Anti Aging Creams Contain

By Julie Samtsonn

You probably have heard of anti-oxidants and free radicals, but do you know what they mean, what they are, how they affect the skin, or why anti-oxidants are discussed like a miracle drug in anti-aging and anti wrinkle creams? Well, it takes a fundamental uunderstanding of the aging and wrinkling process, so you can understand how anti-oxidants and free radicals affect the skin.

The idea starts at the breakdown of the skin cells, as part of the aging process, damage to skin by the elements or external factors, like smoking, which can strike at the DNA of cells. Skin cells store Vitamin A, as well as Vitamins C and Vitamin E, so when everything is in perfect balance, these vitamins are present in the skin cells and maintain the skin's youthful appearance.

Oxidants are basically toxins or free radicals, so to fight these oxidants it makes sense to consume as many antioxidants as you can. This will help maintain that healthy vitamin balance, fighting dead, dry cells that manifest in the form of older or wrinkled skin.

In the anti aging creams they believe in a topical application of antioxidants, commonly used as a green tea extract. It has been found that in drinking green tea and black tea, there are 10 times the antioxidants that can be found by eating fruit and vegetables. This has been proven when taken internally, however, by applying topically, it should affect the skin cells that are on the surface or have absorbed these antioxidants.

It's considered that the best way to combat oxidants and free radicals is by consuming a lot of tea, especially green and black tea. Many people consume up to 10 cups per day, to combat the toxins that are detrimental to skin cells, not only from aging or wrinkling, but cancer cell attacks. Scientists have shown that green and black teas have more anti-oxidants, than oolong tea, citing skin youthfulness found in countries like Japan and China that drink a lot of tea.

In the case of anti aging creams, green tea extract additives have latched onto this same principle, but results are unknown as far as a topical use. As the premise of antioxidants fighting vitamin loss through internal toxins or free radicals being attacked is more of an internal process, but it is possible some benefit can be gained through external application. This is thought to be the case at least on a short term basis, until those cells die and are replaced by new ones.

It would seem that antioxidants as a cure or prevention in aging and wrinkling, could be more of an internal process, where it could be advised to drink green and black tea on a regular basis, since there is ten times the oxidants as found in equivalent measures of fruits and vegetables. It is unknown with certainty as to the benefits topically, other than short term. - 15438

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