The number one way to achieve healthy, radiant skin is to protect this essential organ from excessive oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is the primary culprit behind premature aging, yet the causes seem to be everywhere in our surrounding environment.
From UV rays to air pollution, the best protection against this onslaught is antioxidants. Antioxidants for skin (like vitamins C, E, and B3, as well as naturally occurring polyphenols and retinoids) help boost the skin's normal protective functions while inhibiting some more over-reactive ones.
By working at a cellular level, adding antioxidants into your skincare routine and daily diet translates into healthier, more radiant skin. Ready to get started?
Oxidative Stress and How It Impacts Skin Aging
Oxidative stress and free radicals play a direct and immediate role in skin aging by causing damage to skin cells and tissues.
But, while these two terms get thrown around a lot in the skincare industry — they are rarely defined for the everyday. So, to set the baseline for our discussion, let's start with a few simple definitions:
Oxidative stress happens when the body produces too many unstable molecules called reactive oxygen species — and doesn't have enough antioxidants to balance them out. One of the most common reactive oxygen molecules is free radicals.
Free radicals (and other reactive oxygen species) can harm important parts of cells, like proteins, fats, and DNA. If left unchecked, this ages our cells causes older-looking skin, and may trigger disease over time.
Where do all these highly reactive and highly problematic molecules come from? In many cases, they come from our surrounding environment. For example, UV radiation penetrates the skin to generate free radicals, leading to oxidative stress, while air pollutants react with the skin to produce even more oxidative stress.
While some exposure is a natural part of the human experience, long-term or excessive exposure leads to increasingly visible signs of aging. These are exactly the kinds of things many of us are trying to prevent. Signs of oxidative stress include wrinkles from a breakdown of collagen and elastin, as well as skin tone unevenness and dullness.
The Power of Antioxidants for Skin Health
Inside all of us, our bodies hold the power to defend against oxidative stress because we naturally produce a combination of enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants. These defenses help neutralize reactive oxygen species, like free radicals, and protect skin cells from premature damage.
But, our bodies are constantly in a state of flux and may not always have the tools needed to effectively put those defense mechanisms to work. Is there a way to boost our antioxidant power for even greater benefit? Of course.
There are plenty of ways to naturally increase antioxidants for skin health and to reduce signs of aging through both topical and dietary channels. Here are just a few key antioxidant options and their known benefits for our skin:
Vitamin C
First up is vitamin C, which is found in citrus and is also crucial for collagen production. Collagen is the protein that keeps skin firm and youthful. It helps two enzymes, known as prolyl and lysyl hydroxylase, strengthen and stabilize collagen fibers. Vitamin C also boosts collagen production by reducing the natural breakdown of collagen.
Another little-known fact about vitamin C is that it can help prevent excess melanin formation, reducing hyperpigmentation for a brighter, more even skin tone. Clinical studies have discovered that it helps increase the skin's natural protection from UV damage, especially in combination with vitamin E.
Vitamin E
Speaking of vitamin E, this is another skin antioxidant with effects beyond its synergies with vitamin C for UV protection. Vitamin E enhances skin hydration by improving the skin's natural protective barrier.
This is a powerful antioxidant ally that slows the signs of aging by helping to maintain the integrity of the outermost layer of skin. By protecting cell membranes from environmental free radicals that attack the skin's oily barrier, vitamin E reduces the risk of skin disorders and damage.
Retinoids (Vitamin A)
If you are familiar with any anti-aging skincare ingredient, it's likely retinol. Retinol is a type of retinoid, and both are derivatives of vitamin A. Most importantly, both are great skin antioxidants.
Retinoids encourage skin cell turnover to increase the skin's natural renewal cycle, which tends to slow down with age but can be improved with daily retinoid use. By speeding up cell turnover, retinoids improve skin texture and appearance, reducing the buildup of dead skin cells that can lead to dullness and roughness.
Skincare containing retinoids can also reduce fine lines and wrinkles by increasing collagen production while discouraging the activity of enzymes that actively degrade collagen.
Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
Another vitamin and valuable antioxidant for your skin is niacinamide. This compound, more commonly known as vitamin B3, is a helpful skincare ingredient for issues with redness and inflammation. It inhibits the activity of pro-inflammatory proteins, which helps balance an over-excited immune response and thereby reduces irritation and redness.
Niacinamide doesn't have just one course of action for reducing visible signs of aging. It also helps minimize the appearance of pores by regulating our skin's natural production, which prevents pores from becoming clogged or visibly enlarged.
Polyphenols
While you may not have heard of polyphenols in skincare, you may have seen labels touting the benefits of green tea extract and resveratrol. Both of these are chock-full of polyphenols, an antioxidant compound that protects cells, including those in the skin, from free radical damage.
Research has uncovered that green tea polyphenols (especially the mouthful known as epigallocatechin gallate) reduce inflammation by blocking enzymes and proteins that trigger the body's inflammatory response — a great resource for irritated or damaged skin.
Similarly, studies have found that resveratrol influences key proteins that control inflammation in the body. By regulating these pathways, resveratrol helps prevent excessive immune responses and supports healthier, more youthful-looking skin.
Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10)
Finally, CoQ10 may be a supplement more associated with heart health, but did you know it also has systematic benefits for our skin through its antioxidant effects? It energizes at a cellular level and is vital for maintaining skin cell health and function, supporting processes like collagen synthesis and cell repair.
Through CoQ10’s benefits to both collagen and cell repair, this indirectly also means reducing crow's feet and other fine lines. In fact, clinical studies have demonstrated that topical CoQ10 application can decrease wrinkle depth and improve skin texture.
How To Add Antioxidants to Your Skincare Routine
The first step to a luminous, younger-looking appearance is to know the best antioxidants for the skin. With that already out of the way, the second step is to introduce these powerful free-radical fighters into your life, whether through what you eat or your skincare routine.
The good news? While niacinamide, retinoids, and polyphenols might sound complex, they're all naturally derived from plant-based sources and essential nutrients. Many of these powerhouse ingredients can be found in everyday superfoods and botanicals, making them more accessible than ever.
Antioxidants in Your Diet
Healthy skin starts from the inside out. All the skincare in the world won't solve any internal issues related to a poor diet.
But eating healthy, nutrient-dense food ensures our body has what it needs to work effectively — whether protecting our skin from excessive oxidative stress, supporting natural collagen production, or maintaining a balanced natural barrier.
What are the best foods for skin health? Try fruits and vegetables rich in vitamins and polyphenols, including oranges, carrots, and spinach. Leafy greens, nuts, and seeds are excellent antioxidant-packed foods to put into your weekly shopping cart.
Your fine lines and skin texture may not disappear overnight, but over time, dietary changes can make a difference to internal and external health.
Antioxidants in Your Skincare
Then, there are ways to introduce antioxidants in a much more targeted and immediate way than waiting for dietary vitamins and minerals to get to work— topical skincare.
From serums to creams to single-topical ingredients, you can see real results for fine lines, elasticity, and brightness by incorporating products with one or more of the antioxidants listed above on the label.
These penetrate the upper layers of the epidermis to provide benefits for collagen, redness, and texture, exactly where you experience the most issues. Clinical research has established topical antioxidants as an effective way to achieve healthy skin.
Introducing Body Oils for Antioxidant Delivery
Imagine antioxidants skincare with bodywide benefits. That's Prima's Beyond Body Oil. Our lightweight, plant-based oil is specially formulated with potent free-radical-fighting ingredients like oils rich in vitamins A and E, helichrysum extract, and cannabidiol (CBD).Unlike water-based skincare products, our Body Oils lock in moisture to enhance the absorption of antioxidants. By mimicking the skin's natural lipid barrier, oils provide long-lasting hydration and protection against environmental stressors.
Prima's Body Oils have a rich and nourishing texture that hydrates without feeling greasy. Clinically tested in third-party studies, our oils have been shown to visibly enhance skin firmness, soften texture, and reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles—especially around the eyes.
Good for dryness, dullness, and texture, Prima Beyond Body Oil is backed by science and loved by everyone who tries it.
What Do Antioxidants Do for Skin? Everything.
Antioxidants are the ultimate defense against oxidative stress. From vitamin A to vitamin E, from coenzyme Q10 to niacinamide, these little protective compounds repair and rejuvenate your skin.
The best part is they are easy to incorporate into your daily life, from dietary sources to targeted skincare. These ingredients are proven to help you fight oxidative stress and early signs of aging, both inside and out.
Ready to care for your skin, mind, and body? Start with Prima.
Disclaimer
The information provided in this content is for general knowledge and educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease or medical condition. Individual results may vary. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before using CBD or any hemp-derived products, especially if you have underlying health conditions, are pregnant or nursing, or are taking prescription medications.
