Your mitochondria – what are they and how you can care after them (with the right skincare!)
What are mitochondria?
Let’s go back in time to high school and try to remember the good stuff (and forget the bad stuff).
We are made of cells. Our cells need the energy to keep going. We are not plants so we depend on food to get energy. Our mitochondria convert that food into energy we can use to live. That’s all!
Of course, there is a lot more exciting stuff you can learn about mitochondria but I already told you why you need the mitochondria in your skin happy so that it can do its job.
Unfortunately (you knew that this was coming, right?) older skin has older mitochondria. Life ages mitochondria. And, old mitochondria are not as efficient at producing energy as young mitochondria As a result, old skin produces less energy than what you need to keep your skin going, to make new proteins and hyaluronic acid, to build the skin barrier, keep bacteria out, etc.
Just to give you an idea of how important mitochondria are for us, humans, there are theories of aging that blame aging mitochondria for human aging in general.
What can you do to keep your mitochondria working young? ROS*, reactive oxygen species, are one of the huge forces that age mitochondria (and the body in general), and mitochondria produce plenty of ROS* in their normal function.
From one of my old posts:
Mitochondria provide energy as adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the form of energy our cells can use to do “housekeeping,” grow, and divide. This is true. Not just for us humans, but for all eukaryotes (organisms with nuclei). Mitochondria use molecular oxygen to extract a lot of energy that would otherwise be lost, and foodstuff is eventually converted to low energy water and carbon dioxide.
The science behind these statements is so complex and so awesome, that you would have to study carefully several textbooks or read the Nobel lectures of many awardees to comprehend it. I am not trying to make it easy (that’s impossible) but just to convey its importance.
What actives and SAS products can help your mitochondria work young?
DIY actives:
Mitochondria concentrate: it will not add to your mitochondria but will supply components that your mitochondria can use
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
All actives that decrease damage by ROS* like ROS terminator
Sunscreen
Actives that contribute t energy production, like lipids that form cell membranes (including mitochondrial membranes) and can be used to produce energy.
Ready to use products
Claims on this page have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, cure, treat, or prevent any disease.
You can also watch these old videos:
And read this one