By now you realize that antioxidants are essential nutrients that protect your skin and slow overall aging by capturing and neutralizing damaging free radicals. That’s why you just ordered that freshly pressed green-drink, for its mega amounts of antioxidant vitamins.
But, if you’re already eating right, keeping your skin clean, well hydrated and exfoliated will adding a serum rich in antioxidants really make a difference for your skin? Well that depends. Do you digress from your well intentioned diet? Do you live a life free of sun damage and stress? Do you refrain from smoking, sugar and alcoholic beverages? Are you actively athletic? All these factors create free radical damage that will eventually catch up with you and age your skin.
Enter Vitamin C & E Antioxidant Serum: This is the tried and true gold standard antioxidant combination to help fight environmental agers. There have been numerous studies that show the effectiveness of C & E to protect against sun induced free radical damage as well as brightening the skin and promoting skin firming collagen. Specifically, C & E protects against oxidative stress (IE cross linking of collagen fibers) which eventually leads to sagging skin, unwanted pigmentation, lines and wrinkles. So if you’re not using a Vitamin C & E Antioxidant Serum daily, now is the time to start.
Why a serum? Eating vitamin rich fruits and veggies is important, but realize that your skin is the last organ to receive their benefits. However, our skin is like a sponge. We can absorb up to 60% of some antioxidants through the skin. A serum is more concentrated than a cream and incorporates a delivery system to penetrate those important antioxidant ingredients.
Realizing it’s impossible to get enough antioxidants to entirely eliminate all free radical damage, you may want to do a little more. Consider adding a boost of concentrated superfruits to your antioxidant serum. Here are six of our favorite superfruits which we recommend adding to your repertoire. These superfruits are top high functioning, vitamin packed health foods and can be found in Elizabeth Renee’s Sunrise Solution.
Here is our A-List:
- Acai Berries
The Acai fruit does, in fact, contain a truly amazing nutrient profile with a combination of essential fatty acids that supports cell structure. plus B & C vitamins. And just as importantly, the Acai fruit is rich in anthocyanins and phenols. These powerful antioxidants help rejuvenate skin and calm inflammation.
- Goji Berries
The most exciting benefit from Goji Berries is its anti-aging potential. It includes minerals like calcium, potassium, iron, zinc, and selenium. All which fight free radicals, and many that encourage the production of collagen and elastin. It’s also rich in amino acids, the building blocks for proteins which help fill fine lines, smooth skin, and improve tone and color. Goji berries have also been shown to increase adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, increasing the skin’s energy and the ability to regenerate itself.
- Noni Fruit:
Noni Fruit is especially high in essential fatty acids which are the building blocks of fats and oils in the skin. These acids help to keep skin healthy by promoting the efficient functioning of cell membranes. This means cells can more readily absorb the nutrients they need while also flushing out the toxins that interfere with optimal cell function. - Mangosteen:
Contain antioxidants which have antimicrobial and antibacterial properties. This is very useful for treating problem skin. It also contains catechins, an antioxidant which exerts sun damage protection by quenching free radicals and reducing inflammation rather than by blocking UV rays. Therefore, mangosteens work synergisticlly to enhance sun protection when used in addition to a sunscreen. - Pomegranates:
Known to possess enormous antioxidant activity (amongst other things), with benefits that help control both UVA and UVB damage; boosting regeneration, lessening hyperpigmentation and increasing collagen production. Pomegranates have also been shown to enhance the topical effectiveness of sunscreens. If anything deserves to be dubbed a Superfruit, then it is a pomegranate. - Coffee Berries:
When applied to your skin, polyphenolic antioxidants in Coffee Berries soak up free radicals caused by ultraviolet light. Plant polyphenols also act as a topical anti-inflammatory agents, when applied to your skin to treat inflammatory skin conditions such as contact dermatitis, rosacea or eczema.
A combination of these superfruits can be effective when adding just one pump to your current Vitamin C & E Serum daily. Skin types that have found they are too sensitive to use Vitamin C Serums find that this as a great alternative (use 2-3 pumps) without irritation. Also those who live an active lifestyle outdoors have benefited from adding a layer of a serum containing superfruits daily under their sunscreen for increased sun protection.
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