Have you ever wondered what antioxidants are? They come up in food, skincare and now even in our shampoos. So with all this talk about antioxidants being good for the body, and the skin, what do they actually do, and what are they? We're going to cover it all!

But before we talk about antioxidants - we think it's first important to discuss free radicals!

What Are Free Radicals ?

Free radicals are substances with an unpaired electron, making them unstable and extremely reactive. Free radicals can react on the surface of our skin and these reactions that take place damage our skin in the process, resulting in accelerated skin aging.

Where Do Free Radicals Come From?

Our bodies inherently age, and natural biological processes create free radicals. Other common external sources for free radicals are the sun, smoking, and pollution. 

How Do Antioxidants Fight Free Radicals? 

An antioxidant is a substance that can neutralize free radicals. They are typically substances that are extremely stable, even with an unpaired electron. This means that once the free radical takes its electron from the antioxidant, the chain reaction will stop because both of the molecules will be stable.    

So you might be thinking, why bother eating vegetables/fruits or applying skincare that has antioxidants when my skin already produces them? 

The simple answer is that our bodies do not produce enough antioxidants for us to be able to combat all the free radicals that bombard our skin every day. This is why applying skincare that contains antioxidants such as Dew Drops Mushroom Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C Serum, and Hydrate 49% Almond Oil Serum are the perfect products to incorporate into your skincare routine to protect the skin!

We hope this settles it for you! Feel free to send us a DM on Instagram if you have any other questions, or send us an email at hello@threeshipsbeauty.com!

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