The Regimen

The Five Antioxidants Your Skin Shouldn’t Be Without

Antioxidants are like armor for your skin, providing protection against the daily onslaught of oxidative stress caused by free radicals. What are free radicals? Unstable and highly reactive molecules in the body that are triggered by UV or pollutant exposure. They cause damage to DNA, cell membranes, and proteins, which can lead to premature aging, inflammation and skin cancer. Antioxidants work to neutralize free radicals and repair skin from damage already done.

Your body produces its own antioxidants, but the production slows down with age. With a little help from our antioxidant friends, we do more than just get by. We beautify.

To reap maximum benefit, antioxidants should be applied topically and ingested. There are many out there to choose from, all good. But there are a few that no skin should be without.

VITAMIN A (RETINOL)
THE CHIEF ARCHITECT

The master of tone and texture, vitamin A fights free radicals, promotes collagen production and elasticity, accelerates cell turnover, increases thickness and resilience in skin, and reduces visible signs of premature photo-aging.

Find it in many of Vivant’s corrective serums and Wink Eye Rejuvenation Cream.

Food sources include sweet potatoes, carrots, dark leafy greens, winter squashes, lettuce, dried apricots, cantaloupe, bell peppers, fish, liver, and tropical fruits.

VITAMIN C
THE TIME TRAVELLER

Vitamin C reverses the effects of sun damage and strengthens the skin. It’s particularly good for diminishing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and uneven skin tone. Vitamin C boosts radiance and resilience in the skin and promotes firmer, smoother tone.

Find it in Vivant’s Spin Trap Antioxidant Serum.

Food sources include citrus, red peppers, kale, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, and strawberries.

When used in combination, vitamins E and C have a synergistic strength that makes them far more effective than either alone.

VITAMIN E (TOCOPHEROL)
THE DEFENDER

Essential for the maintenance of healthy skin, vitamin E guards cells from UV-induced damage and the effects of environmental pollutants. Part of its photo-protective effect comes from its ability to absorb energy from ultraviolet light. Vitamin E limits DNA damage and reduces chemical and structural changes to skin after UV exposure. Topical applications have also been shown to reduce UV-induced tumor formation and to reduce the effects of photo-activated toxins in the skin.

Find it in Vivant’s Spin Trap Antioxidant Serum.

Food sources include almonds, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, eggs, peanut butter, and avocado.

GREEN TEA
THE SOOTHER

Among its many other benefits, green tea has potent anti-inflammatory properties. Abundant in bioactive polyphenols, plant micronutrients including catechins (GTC) and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), green tea protects cells and DNA from free radical damage and helps maintain healthy collagen formation. It’s significantly higher in beneficial catechins than any other type of tea and also rich in vitamins E and C.

Find it in Vivant’s Green Tea Antioxidant Cleanser.

Food sources include your favorite afternoon pick-me-up, a cup of green tea. You can also add matcha (green tea powder) in everything from baked goods to oatmeal.

OAT PROTEIN
THE NOURISHER

You already know they make a great breakfast, but oats also pack a powerful antioxidant- and peptide-rich protein with a profound ability to both scavenge free radicals and kick-start the body’s own production of antioxidants. Because of a high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, Oat protein is uniquely effective at taking on protein-binding malondialdehyde (MDA), which is produced when free radicals attack lipids in the fatty tissues that keep skin looking full and healthy.