You know that dream you wake up from where summer is over, it’s back to work slacks and blouses and you look in the mirror and say “oh goodness, what did I do to my skin this summer?”
Yep, I’m with you and here to tell you about oxidative stress aka free radical damage — and how it can harm your skin and lead to the appearance of wrinkles, brown spots and redness ALL YEAR ROUND, not just the lazy days of summer.
And before you decide this “crisis” may not apply, let me remind you what triggers free radical damage:
The air we breathe, UV rays, stress, smog, cigarette smoke, alcohol consumption and eating a diet consisting of just carbohydrates such as sugar, white flour and white rice (bring on the veggies).
This explains how the dominoes fall…
Free radical damage occurs when there is more free radical creation than there is antioxidant activity in your body.
Free radicals are molecules that have an odd number of electrons on their outer layer. A free radical has a negative charge but wants to have a balanced charge, so it steals an electron from a balanced atom, and in turn creates another free radical. Meaning, our cells begin to change, not for the better, which then causes us to age. If we aren’t careful, this free radical buildup causes the building blocks of our bodies to deteriorate 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What does all this do to our skin?
Simply put, it destroys the moisture barrier, causes inflammation and leads to the pronounced appearance of wrinkles, brown spots, a rough texture and overall loss of tone (sagging, big time).
So, I’m on my soapbox (or orange crate!) to beg you to start or increase your antioxidant use, mainly through the use of Vitamin C products on your skin and in your diet.
One of the very best ways to reduce free radical activity is to apply skincare products that contain stable antioxidants to the face every morning under your broad spectrum sun block (year round too). It’s time to start aging smartly and give your skin some serious protection.
Add these high level antioxidant foods to your grocery cart: blueberries, avocado, citrus, tomatoes, sweet potatoes, kale, wild salmon, green tea, carrots and grapes.
Ready to prevent and fade brown spots, increase collagen, make your skin look brighter, feel moisturized with a more even-toned youthful glow?
Visit Skintuition for a facial and I’ll share some special tips for improving your overall lifestyle and revamping your current regime, tailored to what is realistic and working for you.
Environ has some great new products to treat those pesky brown spots too. Check out Environ’s new award and see why I love them so.
P.S. Can’t make it in but know you need to make some tweaks? Contact me for a virtual consult.
Happy Autumn and see you in the studio soon!