Our first line of defense: Antioxidants
Let’s face it. Aging is inevitable and here at our San Francisco spa, we believe that aging gracefully and naturally is the golden ticket to age-appropriate, swoon-worthy skin.
How to get there? Apply a topical antioxidant religiously and daily. Antioxidants are our 1st line of defense against the major skin-aging culprits like sun, pollution, free radicals, and collagen depletion.
Think of this image: cut open an apple and leave it on the counter for 1 minute. What happens? The skin browns and shrivels slowly over time due to oxidation, a process that damages the cells of the fruit. However squeeze a lemon on the surface, and the apple retains its white untouched surface.
This is same process that occurs with our skin over time. By applying our “lemon juice” or an antioxidant, the skin’s naturally occurring aging process begins to slow down.
In addition to preventing damage from the inside, antioxidants supplement the UVA + UVB protection against the sun’s rays. Fact: sunscreens block up to 55% of the damaging free radicals responsible for hyperpigmentation, wrinkles, and lackluster skin tone, giving us even more reason to prevent against the elements.
Unfortunately, there’s no single antioxidant that will do the job, so it’s important to get a variety. Look for adequate percentages of each topical antioxidant (e.g. at least 10-15% of Vitamin C). A few of the well-researched effective antioxidants:
Vitamin C: vital for collagen production, the substance responsible for providing skin its plumpness and elasticity, alleviates inflammation
Vitamin E: known to protect against sun damage and promote healing of scars, prevent loss of moisture, and improves skin tone
Ferulic Acid: anti-inflammatory properties when combined with Vitamin C + E, helps to project against UV damage
Phloretin: Provides advanced protection against photo aging when combined with Vitamin C + Feurlic Acid
When to apply?
Apply to clean skin, pre-moisturizer and pre-sunscreen.
Some of our favorites all available at IO:
iS CLINICAL Super Serum ($140)
Arcona Youth Serum ($87)
Skinceuticals Phloretin ($152)
In Fiore Soliel Fleur ($115)
Go get your antio’s,
Sofia
