Our skin is exposed to many pollutants, toxins and other skin-damaging factors on a day-to-day basis. Now, ask yourself if you’re taking the right steps to protect it.
First let’s discuss what ages and damages our skin.

Our skin is exposed to many pollutants, toxins and other skin-damaging factors on a day-to-day basis. Now, ask yourself if you’re taking the right steps to protect it.
First let’s discuss what ages and damages our skin.
It starts with oxidative stress. This occurs when there’s an imbalance of production of free radicals and our body’s own ability to neutralize them. Free radicals are uncharged molecules with an unpaired electron, looking for something to latch onto. They are purposely created by our body to offset viruses and bacteria, though an imbalance with too many, can negatively affect us. Free radicals are essentially unstable, reactive molecules that damage healthy cells and cause oxidative stress.
Let’s take a look at some factors contributing to oxidative stress:
- airborne pollutants
- emotional stress
- sun overexposure
- poor diet
- toxins in skincare
- cigarette smoke
It’s without a doubt that oxidative stress damages our skin cells, causing premature aging, the formation of fine lines, wrinkles, uneven skin tone and overall deterioration. Thankfully, the role of antioxidants in skincare help to significantly reduce this. They strengthen the skin’s natural defense system and help renew and repair itself from damage already done. The inclusion of antioxidants in skincare is vital for reducing oxidative stress and obtaining that clear, smooth, youthful looking skin we all want.
What are Antioxidants?
Antioxidants are substances that stop oxidation and neutralize damaging free radicals. We want antioxidants in our skincare products just as much as we want them part of our diet.
Foods rich in antioxidants all start with nutrient-dense seeds. The cold-press extraction of these nutritious seeds help expel a nutrient-rich oil ready to nourish skin. A cold-press extraction method ensures the molecular structure of the seeds remain the same and the vital nutrients within are maintained.
Natural ingredients high in antioxidants help minimize cellular aging, calm irritation, reduce inflammation and fight against free-radical damage. These antioxidant-rich extracts work in the same way, to stimulate microcirculation and the regeneration of collagen fibres to improve overall skin health.
Let’s take a look at some common antioxidant vitamins present in plant-based ingredients.
Vitamin C—a very important antioxidant vitamin that works to prevent oxidation and cellular damage. Vitamin C helps produce and maintain healthy collagen levels and functions to help heal damaged and aging tissues, highly effective in wound healing.
Some of the best sources of vitamin C are found in citrus fruits and rose hips.
Vitamin E—a very protective antioxidant vitamin that shields external pollutants from our skin and works to counteract the negative effects of free radicals. Tocopherols, another name for vitamin E, essentially protect our cells from oxidation and damage from unstable molecules and is often used as a natural preservative for this reason. Found in many nuts and seeds, which is why cold-pressed seed oils are especially high in vitamin E
Vitamin A—betacarotene, the plant-derived form of vitamin A is known for giving fruits and vegetables their rich orange, red and yellow pigments. Present in plant extracts like sea buckthorn and rosehip oil, betacarotene is a very important anti-aging, antioxidant nutrient. It stimulates the production of skin cells and improves overall structural integrity of all layers of the skin.
Plant Power in Skincare
We have built Herb Market based on the foundations of truly natural ingredients derived from plants and nature. Many of nature’s extracts are 