Whether you’re 18 or 80, you want your skin to glow with vibrant health. To support radiant skin, eat well, drink enough water, and use sunscreen and clean skin care daily. Beyond the basics, antioxidants support healthy skin from the inside out. And when it comes to antioxidant supplements, there’s average, and there’s Activation.
How Oxidative Stress Affects the Skin
Antioxidants are key because they address oxidative stress. This stress happens when reactive molecules called free radicals damage your cells and tissues, which can impact how you look and feel.
Here are 4 ways oxidative stress from things like sunlight or pollution can makes you look older and less radiant:
1. Damages collagen & speeds collagen breakdown.
Fibroblasts in your skin make collagen. Free radical damage slows them down, leading to less collagen. At the same time, oxidative stress also triggers enzymes that break down collagen. So, you’re making less and losing more. Eventually, a constant stress cycle can create even more damage, making skin look irritated and prematurely older.
2. Weakens skin barrier.
Keratinocytes in the skin’s outer layer form a barrier of lipids and proteins that shield against the environment and retain moisture. Oxidative damage disrupts the skin barrier. This makes it harder for your skin to keep moisture in. Water evaporates faster and production of Natural Moisturizing Factors slows down, so skin can become dry and irritated.
3. Harms melanin production.
Melanocytes produce skin color to help protect from sun exposure. Oxidative stress can harm cells that produce pigment, leading to dark spots, uneven skin tone, and hyperpigmentation.
4. Damages skin’s immune cells.
Your skin’s Langerhans cells are a first line of defense for your immune system. Damage makes skin more vulnerable and impacts barrier structure and function.
Activate Antioxidants (and More) for Skin Health
There are two ways to get anti-aging benefits from antioxidants to support your skin’s healthy glow.
One is topical skin care products. Look for ingredients like vitamin C and E, olive, green tea, broccoli extracts, and turmeric. The Nrf2 ingredients in TrueScience Activated Skin-Care products were patented for their ability to reduce the visible effects of oxidative stress in skin.
The second is through what you consume. You can ignite your body’s ability to create powerful health through the power of LifeVantage Activation products.
Activation targets and activates specific cell or gene pathways. And this approach all started with when LifeVantage developed a product you could take to help the body make more of its own antioxidants.
You need a variety of internal antioxidants to neutralize free radicals. Your genes and cells are all perfectly capable of making enough when you’re young. But these processes can slow down with age or because of lifestyle and environment.
Our scientists have discovered powerful ingredient blends that can activate production of antioxidant enzymes:
- Superoxide dismutase (SOD) converts superoxide radicals into less harmful molecules.
- Catalase works with SOD to break down hydrogen peroxide, stopping it from building up and damaging skin cells.
- Glutathione neutralizes free radicals, recycles other antioxidants, and supports detoxification. *
Activation Product Powerhouses
Two Activation products offer impressive benefits for increasing antioxidants and reducing oxidative stress. And research shows they work better together (more on that below!).*
Protandim® Nrf2 Synergizer®
Reduces oxidative stress by 40% in only 30 days by activating the Nrf2 pathway. Studies have shown Nrf2 activation can support skin health, including barrier function. Some research suggests NRF2 activation can enhance collagen synthesis as it protects collagen fibers to help maintain elasticity.*
TrueScience® Liquid Collagen
Boosts collagen density by 100% and defends against oxidative stress. Supplementing the ingredients for 8 weeks has been shown to create 27 times higher Activation in genes that signal for SOD production. And red quinoa extract increases catalase by more than 3 times over baseline, in addition to its many other benefits for skin aging and collagen levels.
A proprietary blend of citrus and berry extracts supplies antioxidant phytonutrients, including anthocyanins, flavonoids like hesperidin, carotenoids, and more. The fruit extracts also provide ascorbic acid, or vitamin C, which is critical for the synthesis of collagen.
Better Together: Activate a Healthy Glow
Nrf2 Synergizer and Liquid Collagen are combined in the patent-pending Healthy Glow Essentials. Research shows taking the products together unlocks additional anti-aging benefits that you don’t get when taking either product alone.*
A cell study revealed that only when used together, there was activation of significant reductions in stress cycle measures: Expression of 3 key genes decreased by up to 33%. And overreactive immune signaling molecules were reduced by up to 97%.*
This means your collagen-creating cells can get back to a better balance and function optimally, so you look and feel the benefits of a healthy glow from within.*
Read the press release about the study results.
Watch a short video that explains the study results with VP of R&D Lisa Barnes and Sr. Director of Global Product Marketing Tyler Horton here.
Take a deep dive into the science behind the Healthy Glow Stack.
Activating antioxidants from within is the best way to support skin health.
