How To Antioxidant Your Way To Clearer Skin

Toxins. They are everywhere and we are continually exposed through the air, the water, our food, and the things we use. I believe that toxic exposures are harmful to our skin and health.  Exposure to toxins, even low-levels, builds up in our body and causes us issues through free-radicals. The free-radicals are damaged cells that increase our risk of disease and accelerate the effects of aging.

To help support our skin and body from the effects of the free-radicals, we need to bring in antioxidants to protect our tissues from being damaged.

These are a few and are by no means an exhaustive list:

1.  Xenobiotics

• A substance, typically a synthetic (or man-made) chemical, that is foreign to our body.
• Some common places these are found include
  • Pesticides
  • Plasticizers
  • Pigments, paints, dyes, perfumes
  • Preservative and flame retardants
  • Pharmaceuticals

2. Obesogens, including:

• Organochlorines (POPs)- pesticides, PCBs, dioxins
• Phthalates- plasticizers
• Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA)- nonstick coatings and water repellants
• Polybrominated diphenylethers (PBDEs)- flame retardants
• Nonylphenol (alkylphenol)- commercial detergent and emulsifier
• Air pollutants- small molecular weight particles
• High fructose corn syrup- junk food sweetener
• Diethylstilbestrol (DES)- synthetic non-steroidal estrogen

3. BPA- which stands for Bisphenol-A

• Used to produce plastics, including those used in food and beverage packaging, safety equipment, and medical devices

  • People become exposed as BPA leaches into food and beverages that we consume.

  • Research has linked it to fertility issues, heart disease, diabetes, cancer, asthma, and more. It also can act as an endocrine disruptor which imitates our body’s natural hormones and disrupts their functions and elimination in the body.

  • The CDC did a survey (NHANES III) in 2003-04 and found BPA in 92.6% of 2,517 urine samples from people 6 years old and up.

    • Source: Exposure of the U.S. Population to Bisphenol A and 4-tertiary-Octylphenol: 2003–2004 Antonia M. Calafat, Xiaoyun Ye, Lee-Yang Wong, John A. Reidy, and Larry L. Needham

  • Thankfully, this has been brought to many people's attention and you will find more plastics marked as BPA-free.

4. Glyphosate.

• This is an herbicide (weed killer) that is used on the crops for our food and is possibly linked to the development of cancer, liver and kidney issues, and reproductive and development problems.

• You can find it in popular cereals, fruits and vegetables, soy, and grains (like wheat and oats).

• Try to eat as many organic products as possible to avoid as much as you can (there is often still some cross-contamination, but the levels in organic products should be much less).

Thankfully, it is easy to get antioxidants through food! When we consume a diet high in these, our health and skin improve. Plants have phytochemicals or nutrients that are beneficial to our health. There are thousands of phytochemicals.

Here is a list of 10 food items (and their phytonutrient) that are great antioxidants, but remember to look for organic:

Antioxidant benefits through: Catechins, a polyphenol compound

Examples: Broccoli, cabbage, kale, watercress

Antioxidant benefits through: Glucosinolates - sulfur containing chemicals in plants

Antioxidant benefits through: Organosulfates

Antioxidant benefits through: Phenolic Acid, Rosmarinic Acid

Antioxidant benefits through: Bioflavonoids, Ellagic Acid

Examples: Blueberries, Raspberries, Strawberries, Blackberries 

Antioxidant benefits through: Bioflavonoids, Anthocyanidins

Antioxidant benefits through: Catechins

(Small amounts are all you need... not an excuse to drink in excess)

Antioxidant benefits through: Bioflavonoids. Trans-resveratrol

Antioxidant benefits through: Non-Flavonoid Polyphenols

Antioxidant benefits through: Carotenoids like beta-carotene and lutein

We should try to avoid the toxins that we can, but we won't be able to avoid them all. It is imperative to support our skin and our body with as many antioxidants as possible.

How many can you include on a daily basis? The more the better!

For more skin-saving tips, check out my FREE Skin-Safe Household guide. Click the image below.