Not a day goes by that we don't get wind of some new catch phrase in the world of skin care products. We all know that skin care companies are quick at adopting and exploiting any new term to help sell their products, the only problem is that not all of the hype is true.

By all means, antioxidant skin care is precisely one of these catchy phrases. But, unlike some skin care words, this one has some truth behind it.

Antioxidants and Skin Care

Free radicals can be produced by the aging process, UV radiation, smoking, and pollution. If you're not sure what the word free radicals it's quite simple. Free radicals are molecules that are missing one electron or simply have an odd number of electrons. The problem with this scenario is that electrons exist in pairs and will steal electrons from other molecules to stabilize themselves.

This process starts a chain reaction which ends up damaging and destroying molecules. If enough cells are destroyed, the damage begins to show on your skin. This also means that your skin will gradually begin to deteriorate.

So what do antioxidants have to do with free radicals? Antioxidants are substances that freely sacrifice one of their electrons to neutralize the effect of free radicals. Antioxidants are usually derived from fruits and vegetables and may even be found in a antioxidant skin cream that is made with one or more of the following ingredients.

Vitamin A (carotenoids)

Vitamin C

Vitamin E

Flavonoids or polyphenols

Vitamin A is often used to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and pigmentation problems. Vitamin C, on the other hand, has the ability to reduce age spots and combat the effects of smoking. Vitamin E is a potent antioxidant with anti inflammatory properties.

Where to Obtain Vitamin A, C and E

Fruits and vegetables that are red, orange or yellow contain high levels of Vitamin A. Some of these foods include carrots, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, squash, cantaloupes, peaches and apricots. Other vegetables that supply Vitamin A are broccoli, kale and collard greens.

Vitamin C can be found in all kinds of citrus fruits. Spinach and lettuce are also good sources of Vitamin C, along with, strawberries and tomatoes.

Most nuts, seeds, and whole grains are considered rich sources of Vitamin E. It can also be obtained from different oils and big, leafy vegetables.

Sources of Flavonoids and Polyphenols

You can obtain these substances from grapes, red wine, pomegranates, cranberries and any type of tea.

Remember that an effective anti-aging routine will include foods in addition to topical products that contain antioxidants.