Vincent Alvarez/Trunk ArchiveMeet the microfi ghters
that shield skin from
g
a daily bombardment
of smog and chemicals,
y
and learn how to
g
maximize their power.
Your win: that healthy,
p
youthful glow.
By BETH JANESYou can’t see it, butradicals—damagingcigarette smoke,
and more. What
makes them so
dangerous—bear with
the chemistry lesson—
is that each one is
missing an electron,
causing them to go on
a search-and-destroy
mission within the
deeper layers of your
skin to make them-
selves whole again. If
you plug that electron
slot right away, you
render them (mostly)
harmless. That’s
essentially what anti-
oxidants do : “They
donate electrons,
which neutralize free
radicals,” says Leslie
Baumann, M.D., a der-
matologist in Miami.
“Unchecked, those free
radicals are bouncing
around, damaging
collagen and spurring
hyperpigmenta-
tion. Stopping them
ensures that your skin
stays firm, even, and
smooth.” Doctors,
and possibly you, have
known for a while
that antioxidants work
this way, and derms
recommend applying
antioxidant products
daily. But what experts
are finding now is that
there’s more to them
than the ability to lend
electrons. “Research
shows that antiox-
idants can reverse
dark marks, accelerate
healing, and keep your
complexion acne-free,”
Dr. Baumann says.
Take full advantage
with this key info.Combos
work best
There are countless
antioxidants, most
from natural sources.
“In developing
skin-care products, we
look to what nature
uses for protection,”
says Joshua Zeichner,
M.D., a dermatologist
in New York City. And
certain antioxidants
are especially potent
when applied topically,
including vitamins
C and E, ferulic acid,
phloretin, resveratrol,
green tea, grapeseed
extract, coenzyme
Q1 0 (a.k.a. ubiqui-
none), and idebenone.
There’s also strength
in numbers. “In nature
antioxidants work syn-
ergistically. We mimic
that relationship in
cosmeceuticals,” says
Patricia Farris, M.D.,
a clinical associate pro-
fessor of dermatology
at Tulane University.
Antioxidants also
stabilize and power
up one another. “For
example, vitamin C is
good but not as good
as C and E together,
which is not as good
as C, E, and ferulic,” she