Antioxidant Serum: 3 Criteria for Choosing the Best Antioxidant Serum for Your Face

Many factors can disrupt your skin’s health and natural balance. Some of these factors include UV rays, air pollutants, and even poor eating habits. Can you guess what all of them have in common? The answer: free radicals. These nasties are responsible for oxidative stress that damages your DNA and instigates premature aging.

Here is a breakdown of factors that cause premature skin aging:

External factors:

1. UV light damage

2. Environmental pollution

3. Regular intake of high-sugar, high-salt, fried, and processed foods

4. Long-term smoking

5. Life stressors

Internal factors:

1. Excess free radicals

2. Collagen reduction

3. Skin fat loss

4. Cell metabolism slows down or stops renewing

5. Decrease in immunity

6. Long-term stress accumulation

Antioxidants function to neutralize free radicals and help reduce the aging process by regenerating your cells. They now come in nifty serum formulations, so you can quickly slather it on your skin and reap its skin benefits. But how can you tell if the one you are using is staying true to its claims?

The Antioxidant Serum You Should Look For

There are several antioxidant serums on the market nowadays, and not all of them possess the same number of advantages. The secret of an effective antioxidant serum lies in its active ingredients, formulation, and compound stability. (Read more: Hydrating Serum: Your Best Bet Against Dehydrated Skin)

Make it a habit to always check the product labels to determine if the formulation is one that your skin needs. Here are vital criteria you should consider before purchasing an antioxidant serum.

1. Does the product contain antioxidants?

It seems funny even to wonder if an antioxidant serum contains antioxidants. Unfortunately, some products can get away with the labeling even if they hardly have antioxidants in them.

Here some examples of antioxidants you should look for in a serum:

→ Vitamin A (retinol or retinoic acid) -- an anti-aging powerhouse

→ Vitamin B3 (niacinamide) -- a powerful anti-inflammatory antioxidant that can help decrease signs of aging and irritation on the skin

→ Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) -- boosts collagen production and helps eliminate dark spots

→ Vitamin E (tocopherol) -- contains anti-inflammatory properties that even out skin tone, improve texture, and brighten skin

→ Flavonoids -- possess anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, anti-mutagenic, and anti-carcinogenic properties

→ Quercetin -- helps maintain oxidative balance

→ Q10 (Idebenone) -- protects cells from damage and plays an integral part in one’s metabolism

→ Peptides -- helps achieve firmer, younger-looking skin, and fewer breakouts

→ Sulforaphane -- neutralizes toxins and reduces inflammation

→ Resveratrol -- contains skin-calming properties that help reduce redness and even out skin tone

→ Curcumin -- helps fight acne with its antibacterial properties

→ Catechins -- helps prevent and protect the body against diseases caused by oxidative stress

Besides keeping an eye out for these ingredients, you should also check if the brand does in-vivo experiments. In-vivo experimentation involves research with or within an entire living organism to test a product’s overall effects.

2. Are there any unnecessary ingredients added?

It is surprising how many unnecessary and potentially harmful ingredients you can still find on most skincare products. Those with particularly sensitive skin should watch out for things like fragrance (parfum), synthetic colorants, PEG, and paraben. These serve no purpose for your skin and may even worsen your skin conditions. (Read More: Top 6 unnecessary ingredients to avoid in face oil)

Play it safe and healthy whenever you can and opt for clean beauty products. Find out more about these problematic skincare additives by checking out Know More Ingredients: Unnecessary List.

3. Will the packaging sustain the activity of the antioxidant ingredients?

Make sure that the antioxidant serum’s packaging has these three qualities:

1. Leak-tightness

2. Opaque

3. Capacity

These packaging qualities help protect the antioxidant serum from environmental elements such as air and UV light, which cause the serum to degrade faster. And you, as a consumer, would naturally want to extend your product’s shelf life for as long as possible.

Dull and tired skin will be a thing of the past with the Know More Luminosity Serum. Its safe yet potent formulation contains broccoli sprouts (a.k.a. the most bio-active plant form) that works to supply the skin with the nourishment it needs.

This advanced sprout technology will leave your skin vibrant and glowing after use.

All you need to do is apply a little bit of the serum over your cleansed face by gently pressing it on your skin.

Keep massaging it in until your skin absorbs it fully while you enjoy its soothing floral scent. Be sure to use a face oil afterward to lock in the serum. (Read more: Face Oil Buying Guide: 3 Essential Checkpoints to Look For in Face Oil)

Antioxidants are essential in protecting your skin against damage from free radicals. The best serums should contain only clean, potent, and necessary ingredients in sustainable packaging to ensure their efficacy that will not harm your skin.