ROS* and what an antioxidant serum can do to protect and heal the skin
The problem:
To protect your body, the skin has to withstand a constant bombardment by reactive oxygen species, ROS*, from the outside (delivered to the skin by the environment) and generated within the skin itself, either as a response to incident UV radiation or formed when our (amazing but imperfect) mitochondria respire.
The antioxidant system in our own cells is very complex, as shown in the following figure. I am including it in a large size so that you can appreciate the complexity of the system. You can see the external (UV, urban particulate matter, noxious chemicals) and internal (imperfect respiration) factors that contribute ROS* and how they damage the cell and the skin. On the left, the damaged macromolecules: DNA (think mutations and cancer), proteins (wrinkles, pigmentation disorders), lipids (cell death). In black, the ROS* contributors. In blue, the systems capable of disarming ROS*.
Figure 1. From Rinnerhaler, M., Bischof, J., Streubel, M.K., Trost, A. and Richter, K. (2015) Oxidative Stress in Aging Human Skin. Biomolecules, 5, 545-589. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biom5020545. Interplay between different ROS* sources and the anti-oxidative systems in the skin. This figure shows you that our body has antioxidant systems capable of disarming ROS*. What is not shown here (but is discussed extensively in the paper) is how these defenses can be insufficient to deal with real life, especially in a polluted environment.
ROS* on the skin and contribution to skin aging
The picture we have of aged skin has a lot to do with ROS*.
In the dermis: fine wrinkles due to the reduction of collagen, elastic fibers, and hyaluronic acid. Protein modifications happen at the backbone, at amino-acid side chains or by the formation of carbonyls. Several amino acid residues are more susceptible to oxidative modifications than others. Examples of that are histidine, leucine, methionine, and cysteine as well as phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan. Only modifications of the sulfur-containing amino acids methionine and cysteine are reversible, for example by the enzymes glutaredoxin 1, thioredoxin, and methionine sulfoxide reductases.
Actives that can help
Anti-inflammatory: sea kelp bioferment, Porphyridium polysaccharide,
Low molecular weight antioxidants: green tea EGCG, hyaluronic acid, hesperidin methyl chalcone, tetrahydrocurcuminoids, Sorghum bicolor extract, lycopene, astaxanthin, fucoxanthin, Porphyridium polysaccharide.
Antioxidants from the glutathione system: glutathione, thioredoxin (TRX, sH-polypeptide 2), , sh-Polypeptide-77 (Glutaredoxin (GRX)), Superoxide Dismutase,
Energy production: carnitine (transports fatty acids to the mitochondria for better energy production).
Glycans: sea kelp bioferment, Porphyridium polysaccharide, Aloe barbadensis extract.
Prebiotics: sea kelp bioferment,
Protein structure protection: carnosine (plus all antioxidants)
DISCLAIMER: These claims have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat or prevent any disease.