How do antioxidants work?
We have all heard of antioxidants. Magazines, skincare products, food and beverages labels keep bombarding us with promises of eternal youth and health benefits if we use products that contain them. But what exactly are antioxidants? And how do they work? To understand that, though, it’s important to know a few facts about free radicals:
What are free radicals and how are they generated?
Free radicals are highly unstable molecules caused by the oxidization process. This happens when an oxygen molecule, which is stable because it has an even number of electrons, is involved in a chemical reaction that causes it to lose one of these electrons. This creates a new molecule called free radical.
Because the free radical molecule is missing one electron, it needs to find another one quickly. To do so, it attacks another molecule to get it, causing damage to DNA, cells and proteins. In addition, it also starts a chain reaction because the cell the free radical has robbed of its electron, now needs to find another one and attacks another molecule. And so on. This chain not only can accelerate the aging process but it can also cause diseases like cancer or heart disease.
But what starts this oxidation process? Well, this can be caused by both external factors like UV radiation, pollution, smoking and alcohol, and body processes like metabolism and inflammation.
What are antioxidants?
Antioxidants are the body’s defense against the damage caused by the oxidation process that produces free radicals. Popular antioxidants include Vitamins C and E, Selenium, Coenzyme Q10, Flavonoids and Beta-carotene.
They can be classified in two groups: those, like Vitamins C and E, that break the free radical chain and those, like Superoxide Dismutase Enzyme that neutralize the initiating free radicals, slowing down or even preventing the chain reaction.
How to help prevent free radical damage
Free radical damage is constant and over the years, it can cause a lot of harm to our bodies. Unfortunately, our bodies don’t produce enough antioxidants to neutralize all of this damage.
But there are a few things we can do to help prevent, at least in part, free radicals formation like daily use and frequent reapplication of sunscreen, not smoking, not consuming too much alcohol and using skincare products that contain antioxidants.
Some experts also recommend to take antioxidants supplements, but be careful if you plan to do so. It is easy to take too much which isn’t good for your health because, in large quantities, antioxidants can be toxic.
In any case, eating a healthy diet with food rich in antioxidants is more beneficial than getting these substances through supplements. Vitamin E can be found in leafy green vegetables, olives, almonds, peanuts and walnuts, avocado and liver while Vitamin C in citrus fruits, leafy green vegetables, peppers, potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries. Food rich in Betacarotene include mangoes, papaya, peppers, spinach, sweet potatoes and apricot while Selenium can be found in seafood, brown rice, chicken, pork and beef.
Final considerations about antioxidants
Antioxidants can prevent some of the damage caused by free radicals (although it would take years to see the results) but they can’t undo it. This means that they won’t eliminate any sign of aging, like wrinkles, that already exists. Still, it’s important to include antioxidants in your diet and beauty regimen because, as current research shows, they are valid ingredients that can help slow down the ageing process.
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Wanted! Estee Lauder Love Your Lips Collection
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Estee Lauder is releasing Love your lips collection, featuring 12 Signature Hydra Lustre Lipstick shades ($19.50 each) and 4 new Kissable Lip Gloss shades ($18.00 each).
The color selection ranges from pinks to corals, reds to mauves so you’ll be sure to find something you love to give your lips a beautiful, seductive look.
And each lippie and gloss comes with a little love message. The lipsticks have the word “L♥VE” engraved on them and the same word decorates the packaging of the lipglosses. Isn’t that too cute?
Sunday Beauty Reads, 07/02/10
Happy Sunday gals (and boys)!
Here are some of my fave posts from the past week from the blogosphere. I hope you’ll enjoy them as much as I did 
Cosmetic Candy shares some tips on how to buy makeup from Ebay safely.
My Women Stuff wonders when you should start using anti-aging skincare products.
Beauty Fool shares some beauty tips for long flights.
Chic Profile reviews Max Factor Second Skin Foundation and loves it.
My Makeup Blog shares how to get celebrity cascading curls.
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Know Your Ingredients: Benzoic Acid
What it is
Benzoic Acid is a white and crystalline powder.
What it does
Benzoic Acid is a preservative: it prevents bacteria from growing in your products.
In addition, Benzoic Acid is used in cosmetics and personal care products to adjust their ph and to add a fragrance to them.
Side effects
Although Benzoic Acid is considered less irritating than other preservatives, it can still cause allergic reactions in some people.
How to remove black hair dye
Are you tired of your natural hair color and thinking of dying it black? Or maybe you already did it and now hate the result? Black is a beautiful and dramatic color, but dying your hair black at home, especially if your natural shade is much lighter, is not a very good idea. Black hair dye is so saturated that it penetrates deeper into the hair shaft and, because of that, it so much harder to remove.
That’s why, before dying your hair black, you should always consult your stylist and if you can, have it done professionally. If the damage is already done, however, the best thing to do is to wait for your hair to grown out again and then cut it off.
But if that’s not an option for you and you already hate your new hair so much you can’t stand it a minute longer, you can try it and remove the dye, but the process can be long, frustrating and damaging to your hair. Again, your best bet is to go to your salon and let your stylist take care of it, but if your hair is newly dyed, you could try and fix it at home too. Here’s how:
Chemical Color Removers
Chemical Color Removers are special products that remove color from hair without bleaching it. Instead, they shrink the oxidative color molecules present in permanent and semi-permanent hair dyes so that they can be washed out of your hair. Although you can find some of these products at the drugstore, it’s a lot safer to have it done by a professional.
Bleaching
Do not try and bleach your hair at home, especially if you have never done it before. Bleaching can remove black dye, but the process is so harsh, you can end up damaging your hair even more. Bleaching peels away the outer layer of your hair, making it weak and fragile which can lead to thinning and breakage. Not only that, but bleaching can lighten up your hair unevenly, so that you can end up with your strands being of several different hues! Again, if you need to have your hair bleached, always go to the salon and have it done professionally.
Shampoo
The safest, less harming thing you can do at home to remove black hair dye is wash your hair with dandruff or clarifying shampoos. These are harsher than regular shampoos and will strip some color off your hair with every wash. But this method doesn’t work straight away: it may take days or even weeks before all the dye is completely removed from your hair.
How long it will take depends on the type of dye you used (permanent takes the longest to fade), how many times a day/week you wash your hair and how soon you started shampooing after the dye was applied. If you just dyed your hair and decided you don’t like it, you have better chances of removing a lot of the color straight away, which won’t happen if you wait a couple of days.
Keep in mind though that washing your hair often with such harsh shampoos will also strip natural oil from your hair, making your hair dry and brittle. It is very important to always apply conditioner afterwards to avoid that from happening and make sure your hair will remain in good condition.
Have you ever dyed your hair black and regretted it? What did you do about it?