What is the role of antioxidants in skincare? Do carotenoids help protect the skin? How do these help?
Environmental irritants, physical stress, and immune responses trigger skin inflammation. Dry skin can become irritated and inflamed, causing it to become red, swollen, itchy, and painful and exhibit other symptoms of inflammation.
Anti-inflammatory ingredients in skin care products help mitigate these effects by targeting receptors that release irritating chemicals. Heat rash, rashes, rosacea, sunburn, sun sensitivity, allergies, acne, burns, psoriasis, and eczema are some of the common inflammatory skin conditions.
We can broadly categorize ingredients with anti-inflammatory action into botanicals, vitamins, minerals, and others.
Vitamins
Vitamins A, D, C, E, and coenzyme Q are significant in skin care. Topical applications in skin care products help protect and even repair the damage caused by free radicals. These help reduce pigmentation and bruising, activate collagen production, and mitigate acne formation.
Carotenoids (Vitamin A)
Carotenoids are a group of compounds that give plants and animals yellow, orange, and red colors. There are two types of carotenoids: carotenes and xanthophylls. Bacteria, fungi, algae, and green plants synthesize the pigments. We can see them most conspicuously in flowers, pollen, and fruits such as carrots, tomatoes, citrus fruits, sweet potatoes, and apples.
The body does not synthesize carotenoids. We obtain these from foods or dietary supplements. This class of products also benefits us through skincare products.
Carotenoids help trap solar energy and make it available for plant growth. They are part of chlorophyll and are responsible for the biological coloration of animals. This class of molecules is bleached by light on exposure to atmospheric oxygen. Carotenoids are insoluble in water but dissolve in fat-solvent media, such as alcohol, ether, and chloroform.
Carotenoids are found in orange, yellow, and red fruits and vegetables, such as pumpkins, carrots, tomatoes, animal livers, and egg yolks. They support normal metabolism and growth and act as antioxidants within the body to protect it against cell damage. The common carotenoids are beta-carotene, alpha-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, lycopene, and astaxanthin.
Carrots and pumpkins are ideal sources of beta-carotene, followed by spinach, sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, and dandelion greens. Tomatoes, watermelon, and grapefruit are the best sources of lycopene. Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach and kale are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin.
Carotenoids impart yellow, orange, and red colors to fruits (such as pumpkins and apricots), flowers (like marigolds), and roots (like carrots and sweet potatoes). The green chlorophyll molecules in leafy vegetables, such as broccoli and spinach, visually mask these. Carotenoids are also found in fats like butter, egg yolks, and lobster shells. Beta-carotene, the precursor of vitamin A, was first isolated from carrots in 1910 and artificially synthesized in 1950 (Encyclopedia Britannica).
Carotenes are organic compounds with the formula C40H56. However, alpha and beta are the two main carotenes; other variants exist, such as gamma and epsilon carotenes. Plants and photosynthetic microorganisms, such as bacteria, synthesize these yellow-orange pigments. We obtain this nutrient from food, an ingredient in several skincare products.
Beta-carotene is stored in the liver and converted into vitamin A as needed by the body. It is a provitamin (i.e., a precursor to the vitamin). Vitamin A is transformed into a light-sensitive pigment, rhodopsin, in the retina.
Alpha-carotene is also a precursor to the creation of Vitamin A in the body, but it is far less common than beta-carotene. Both alpha- and beta-carotene are fat-soluble and are best consumed with a source of fat.
Carotenes absorb energy from sunlight for use in photosynthesis and function as antioxidants. Antioxidants help curb the excesses of damaging free radicals, which oxidize cell membrane molecules, altering their function. Antioxidants, such as carotenoids, react with free radicals and help prevent them from damaging cell membranes. Antioxidants are widely regarded as anti-aging molecules.
Beta carotene was isolated from carrots in the 1950s. Most of the world’s carotene supply is manufactured from synthetic sources. Natural carotene is obtained from Blakeslea trispora, a plant pathogen, and dried marine algae (Dunaliella satina), which grow in harvesting ponds in Australia (New World Encyclopedia).
The daily requirement of beta-carotene is 1,000 mg for males and 800 mg for females. Excess Vitamin A is harmful to the body, but carotene is non-toxic. As with many things, excessive consumption of carrots can lead to diabetes. The free radical-trapping action of antioxidants, such as beta-carotene, occurs in tissues with low oxygen pressures.
You will find much more in Holy Beauty (https://amzn.to/40h1CcX) on skincare, perfumes, and MedSpa procedures
#skincare facts, #skincare bible, #beauty secrets of the Bible, #medspa procedures, #encyclopedia of magical herbs, #fragrance world
Sudhirahluwalia, Inc. https://bit.ly/4kS1Pg1 are ghostwriters and experts in Indian business