Research at SkinDNA™ has shown that the amount of antioxidants in your body is directly proportional to the healthy long term appearance of your skin!

The Oxidation process starts with Free Radicals. Free radicals are highly reactive short lived molecules that can damage virtually any molecule in our body – including the important cellular structures found in the body’s largest organ - the skin. This kind of free radical damage leads to the generation of even more free radicals! It’s a chain reaction that can wreck havoc in every layer of the skin – including the Hypodermis, Dermis and the particularly vulnerable epidermis. This sort of cellular destruction in any one of the skin’s layers can lead to a dull, lifeless, aged complexion. Discoloration, blotchiness, and uneven skin texture are the hallmarks! A simple way to demonstrate free radical damage is with an apple. An apple that is exposed to the air will turn brown within a matter of minutes, this is free radical damage. Scientists now believe that free radicals are causal factors in nearly every known disease, from heart disease to arthritis to cancer and cataracts. In fact, free radicals are a major culprit in the aging process itself.1

It’s not all bad news however, because our bodies have been built with a natural defence: Antioxidants. Antioxidants are your true best friends. They’re devices which stop these destructive chain reactions in our bodies. Research at SkinDNA™ has shown that the amount of antioxidants in your body is directly proportional to the healthy long term appearance of your skin! Antioxidants can also drastically slow some of the physical signs of aging by minimising wrinkles and preserving the skin's natural “glow’”.

We often hear about antioxidants being found in foods like fruits and berries, and dietary supplements like vitamin C, but the world’s most powerful antioxidant…is not in a fruit or berry, it’s found in your very own body! Superoxide Dismutase and Glutathione Peroxidise are two of the most powerful antioxidant molecules available within the human body.2-5 The higher the levels the less prone we are to the destructive effects of free radicals.2-5 Not all people have the same amount of these powerful free radical scavengers.

A numbers of skin related genetic polymorphisms have been found to alter the production of these molecules, and your SkinDNA AFX™ score is the single most powerful indication of your body’s genetic Antioxidant abilities.

Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) is arguably the body’s most crucial antioxidant. It plays a critical role in reducing oxidative stress and is responsible for breaking down the most dangerous free radical of all: Superoxide radicals. Superoxide radials are produced as a by-product of Oxygen. SOD is essential in converting superoxide radicals into a less harmful substance called Hydrogen Peroxide. From there Hydrogen Peroxide is then broken down into water and is safely excreted from the body.

If Superoxide radicals are not broken down, they can cause tremendous damage to your body including inflammatory problems, premature aging and can affect longevity.6

Did you know? 1 in 2 people are genetically predisposed to reduced skin Antioxidant protection.

Free Radicals: Free radicals are highly reactive short lived molecules that can damage virtually any molecule in our body – including the important cellular structures found in the body’s largest organ - the skin. This kind of free radical damage leads to the generation of even more free radicals. It’s a chain reaction that can wreck havoc in every layer of the skin – including the Hypodermis, Dermis and the particularly vulnerable epidermis!.

Glutathione: Glutathione is one of the body’s most important intracellular antioxidants. It plays a central role in quenching free radicals and is an important line of defense against diseases, toxins, pollutants and radiation all of which can cause damage to our skin cells.

Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen peroxide is produced as a by-product of Superoxide radicals during the oxygen metabolising process. As oxygen enters the body Superoxides Dismutase (SOD) convert Superoxides found in oxygen into hydrogen peroxide. Hydrogen peroxide is then converted into water and is excreted by your body.7 This constant cycle is a necessary process in order for our body to function. If Hydrogen peroxide is not completely broken down Hydroxyl radicals may be formed.7 Hydroxyl radicals are a type free radical that can be very harmful to your body. They can cause cellular damage, DNA Mutations and can influence aging and longevity8.

Oxidation: Oxidation occurs when the generation of free radicals within our body exceeds the body’s ability to neutralize and eliminate them. This imbalance can result from a lack of antioxidant capacity caused by diminished production, or by an over-abundance of free radical production. If not broken down properly, the excess free radicals can damage a cell’s lipids, protein and DNA structure, inhibiting normal function. Because of this, oxidation has been implicated in a growing list of human diseases as well as in the internal and external aging process.

Quinones: Quinones are highly active molecules that can stem from Environmental pollutants including UV radiation, industrial plants, exhaust fumes, carbon and cigarette smoke. Once absorbed into the skin, if they are not efficiently broken down can begin to oxidize within the skin’s wall. This can cause skin to become photosensitive, accelerate collagen breakdown and heighten the skin’s sensitivity to Environmental pollutants.

1. Lester.P Ph.D,. (1999). The antioxidant miracle.

2. Fattman. C., et al., (2003).“Extracellular Superoxide Dismutase in Biology and Medicine.” Free Radical Biological Medicine 35(3): 236-256.-53.

3. Culotta. C., et al., (2006). "Activation of superoxide dismutases: putting the metal to the pedal." Biochimica et biophysica acta 1763(7): 747-758..

4. Anderson. M. (1998). "Glutathione: an overview of biosynthesis and modulation." Chemico-biological Interactions 111-112: 1-14.72.

5. Bray. T., et al., (1994). "Enhancement of tissue glutathione for antioxidant and immune functions in malnutrition." Biochemical Pharmacology 47(12): 2113-23.9

6. Cutler RG. Antioxidants and longevity of mammalian species. Basic Life Sci. 1985;35:15-73.5.

7. Stavridis, J. C. (2008). Oxidation: The Cornerstone of Carcinogenesis, Springer.

8. Mello. A., et al., (1983). "Cell killing and DNA damage by hydrogen peroxide are mediated by intracellular iron." Biochemistry 218: 273-275.