Natural, Healthy Aging Antioxidants for Your Skin

You've probably heard about natural antioxidants in skincare. These are the ingredients to look for in your products to protect your skin from sun and pollution damage, premature aging, inflammation and a dull appearance. 

It's indisputable that natural antioxidants can help with a myriad of skin issues, so today, we want to talk about natural healthy aging antioxidants for the skin and how they work their magic (we'll it's actually science).

Here at SCOUT, we believe in aging gracefully and antioxidants are essential in that process. Let's dive in. 

Free radicals vs. antioxidants

You know how your avocado or apple turns brown soon after cutting it open? That's the work of free radicals that trigger the damage of healthy cells. The same applies to your body and skin. 

Free radicals come from environmental pollution, smoke, UV rays and our bodies also produce them naturally. 

Too much exposure to free radicals causes oxidative stress and hinders the body's ability to counteract their harmful effects such as premature aging, inflammation and skin dullness. 

Luckily, this can be aided by consuming enough antioxidant-rich food (fruit, vegetables) and using skincare with antioxidants. 

Want to feel and look good at any age? An Antioxidant-rich health and beauty regimen is your best chance!

Antioxidants and skin aging

The reason antioxidant-rich skincare products have gained so much attention in recent years is that it helps protect our skin on many fronts. 

Slow down premature aging.  Oxidative stress caused by free radicals (remember the brown apple?) breaks down collagen, causes inflammation and slows down or stops the skins ability to repair itself. The results? Skin spots, wrinkles, fine lines, uneven skin tone.

Using skincare with antioxidants for wrinkles helps slow down the aging process resulting in healthy glowing skin for longer.

Protect from sun damage. The sun's harmful rays cause inflammation, dark spots and speeds up aging. Most antioxidants have anti-inflammatory properties that protect your skin from this damage. 

Repair skin damage. When your skin is inflamed, it loses the ability to renew itself and looks unhealthy. Antioxidants such as Vitamin C help stimulate collagen production and aid the skin to repair itself.

Brighten the skin. All of the issues mentioned above affect the tone of your skin and leave it looking dull and lifeless. Adding antioxidant-rich skincare products to your daily routine helps brighten the skin. 

Natural, healthy-aging antioxidants

There's no doubt that antioxidants are the superheroes of skincare and that the earlier we incorporate them into our routines, the better. But it can get a little overwhelming to sift through all the different ingredients! 

Well, that's why we did it for you and created this easy-to-use natural antioxidant guide that includes the most potent and common natural antioxidants for the skin. 

Flavonoids. It's a group of natural plant polyphenols with antioxidant properties found in fruits like apples, grapes, berries, vegetables, teas, cocoa, fava beans and red wine.

These antioxidants protect plants from environmental stress and provide antioxidant protection for the skin. Products with flavonoids such as SCOUT Super Fruit Wash-Off Cleanser with Blueberries, Grape Skin and Acai have powerful anti-inflammatory properties and are essential for protecting the skin from harmful UV rays and keeping it healthy and glowing.

 

One of the main ingredients in our facewash is blueberries, which are very high in antioxidants. These antioxidants help protect the skin from damage, promote skin healing, and slow down aging.

Resveratrol. Another potent antioxidant is resveratrol. It's extracted from grape skins (yes, just like when making red wine) and has impressive anti-aging properties and is commonly used in antioxidant skincare. 

Resveratrol is anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and antifungal, it calms down the skin and reduces and slow down skin aging.

Vitamin C. One of the most common and best-studied antioxidants in skincare, Vitamin C is a real multitasker. It boosts collagen production, keeps the skin firm and smooth, protects it from sun damage and dark spots, slows down the aging process and improves the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines. Uhh, that was a mouthful! 

Here in Australia, we have the unique Kakadu Plum that contains 100 times more Vitamin C than oranges! We took this super ingredient as the base of our Vitamin C Brightening Serum with Kakadu Plum, Turmeric & Rosehip that gets your skin glowing with radiance and health! 

 

 

It also contains curcumin which is a polyphenol antioxidant found in turmeric. Curcumin helps decrease inflammation, accelerates wound healing, prevents oily skin and acne, fights free radicals, and is anti-aging. 

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3). This powerful antioxidant is found in meat, fish, eggs, dairy, green vegetables and ginseng. Skincare products with niacinamide have many great skin benefits that include improving skin's elasticity and appearance and reducing wrinkles, fine lines, sunspots and redness. 

SCOUT's Cell Renewal Peptide Serum with Green Tea, Ginseng and Fig  antioxidant skin serum contains niacinamide and helps restore your skin's youthfulness and ageless beauty. It plumps the skin, fights against the first signs of ageing and works as a wrinkle eraser! 

Ginseng is an excellent source of Vitamin B3 that helps boost the circulation of your skin and increase collagen production. Like most antioxidants, it protects the skin from free radicals and other negative environmental impacts. 

Aging skin can be dull, but products with ginseng help brighten and revitalise the complexion and effectively fight hyperpigmentation by inhibiting melanin production. 

Green tea polyphenols. You may have heard that regularly drinking green tea may help to prevent many health problems. Its active ingredients polyphenols have antioxidant effects, including anti-inflammation, anti-carcinogenic properties. The tea may be the reason Japanese people live such long lives! 

These antioxidants are also used in skincare and can help slow down aging and collagen breakdown, firming up the skin, reducing redness and inflammation. 

Studies have shown that green tea may also protect skin from rosacea, psoriasis and even skin cancer. Antioxidant skincare with green tea also soothes the skin. 

Vitamin E.  Vitamin E is an essential antioxidant for healthy skin - it helps the skin to heal and reduces UV damage. Used topically in various skincare products, it nourishes and protects the skin from free radical damage and slows down aging.

For best results, it is recommended to pair vitamin E rich products with vitamin C or resveratrol.

We've enriched our Crème Compact Foundation with Vitamin E, Jojoba & Shea Butter and packed with these potent antioxidants. It's an excellent fit for mature skin as it leaves the complexion smooth and more radiant. The medium coverage formula helps to minimise the appearance of fine lines while feeling lightweight on the skin.

 

 

Vitamin A. Want to slow down time and those fine lines? Don't forget to incorporate vitamin A into your skincare routine! This potent antioxidant penetrates the skin deeply, stimulates collagen production and cell renewal.  

It's also great at smoothing out fine lines, wrinkles and getting rid of sunspots and discolouration. 

We've enriched our Six Oils of Rejuvenation - the holy grail of treatment oils and one of our best-selling products with Vitamin A. This anti-aging blend is formulated to concentrate and draw on the benefits of each oil to rejuvenate and improve the skin's natural defences for a smoother, more hydrated and healthier-looking complexion by morning.