Protection From Environmental Skin Damage With Topical Antioxidants

Abstract

Skin is an efficient protective barrier armed with an intricate network of antioxidants. External environmental stress diminishes and sometimes overwhelms these innate protective mechanisms; aging slows their efficacy. Topical antioxidants enhance natural endogenous defenses to create an indwelling reservoir for sustained protection with far higher concentrations than possible with oral intake. The challenge is creating formulations of these labile molecules that are stable, active, and can be effectively absorbed transdermally to deliver high concentrations.