What Is an Antioxidant?
Antioxidant is a major buzzword. But does it really mean anything to you?
Generally, I’m sure you understand that antioxidants are good, and oxidation is not so good. Therefore we want to prevent oxidation by eating and applying ANTIoxidants. That’s the superficial story.
But if we’re going to be telling you about how wonderful our antioxidant-rich products are—like our body oils and face serums—and sharing antioxidant-packed recipes like our Longevity Breakfast Smoothie, let’s dig a little deeper.
I have to talk some chemistry and biology here. But try to forget the PTSD from your awful high-school science teacher, and I promise to be gentle.
Deep breath.
(If you’d rather skip the science and just shop antioxidants, I won’t judge you. But if you’re still here—welcome.)
What Is Oxidative Stress?
We need oxygen. We can’t live without it.
But oxygen does damage, too.
Inside our cells, a phenomenon called oxidative stress causes trouble. Oxidation is a process in which exposure to oxygen produces free radicals—another term that means something hazily, amorphously bad.
A free radical is simply a molecule with a dangling bond.
You just rolled your eyes. I felt it. Stay with me.
Picture this: you’re at Nordstrom, and there’s a sale on handbags. You have one in each hand and are headed to the checkout counter. You spy another woman with a better bag. You narrow your eyes. You WANT her bag. You drop one of yours—now you have a dangling bond—and you grab her bag.
Now she has a dangling bond.
She goes after someone else’s bag.
Soon it’s chaos—a bunch of crazy, sale-frenzied, bag-grabbing lunatics. There are screams, bloody scratch marks, and a horrible vortex of negative energy swirling wildly about, each free radical hag fending for herself!
THAT’S what happens inside your cells when oxidation produces free radicals.
Now let’s bring it back to actual molecules.
Picture a water molecule: one oxygen atom holding hands with two hydrogen atoms (H₂O). When that molecule gets oxidized, it can lose one hydrogen atom. Suddenly, it has a dangling bond. That unstable molecule—now called a hydroxyl radical—will grab onto anything it can find: proteins, fats, even DNA.
When it grabs collagen, those beautiful coiled proteins that keep your skin firm, it damages them. Over time, this contributes to sagging and thinning skin.
When it grabs DNA, it can create mutations. Mutations can lead to serious disease, including cancer.
Free radical damage is also implicated in heart disease, stroke, diabetes, atherosclerosis, and possibly dementia.
So yes, oxidation matters.
Are Free Radicals Always Bad?
Before you start hating radicals altogether, let’s clarify something: a few free radicals are necessary.
Their presence inside a cell can signal that the cell is damaged and needs to be cleared away. Macrophages—the little Pac-Man garbage collectors of your immune system—rely on these signals to know what needs cleaning. For example, cells infected with bacteria often generate free radicals as part of the immune response.
The problem is not the existence of free radicals.
The problem is excess.
When too many free radicals accumulate, the system becomes overwhelmed. The helpful, signaling radicals and the destructive, mutation-causing radicals blur together, and the macrophages get confused.
Balance is the goal.
Interestingly, while antioxidants inside the body are essential, high-dose antioxidant supplements have not consistently been shown to prevent chronic disease, and in some cases may even cause harm. Biology is nuanced and intelligent—more is not always better.
However, diets rich in antioxidant-containing whole foods and skincare products formulated with stable antioxidants can help maintain equilibrium.
What Do Antioxidants Actually Do?
Antioxidants stabilize free radicals.
They donate one of their own electrons (without becoming unstable themselves), essentially calming the chaos before it spreads. They interrupt the chain reaction of cellular handbag theft.
When it comes to your skin, this matters a great deal.
Your skin is constantly exposed to oxidative stress from the following things:
- UV radiation
- Pollution
- Smoke
- Inflammation
- Normal metabolic processes
Antioxidants help buffer that stress.
They don’t make you invincible. They don’t stop aging. But they help slow the visible and structural damage caused by ongoing oxidative assault.
Are Antioxidants Good for Your Skin?
Three antioxidants are particularly relevant in skincare: Vitamins A, C, and E.
Vitamin A
Vitamin A, in the form of tretinoin (Retin-A), is the gold standard in dermatology. It increases cell turnover, stimulates collagen production, and improves fine lines and pigmentation.
But it can be irritating, especially for sensitive skin.
Retinol is a gentler precursor, though still not tolerated by everyone.
Plant oils naturally rich in Vitamin A offer a milder, slower approach. They won’t deliver dramatic, overnight results, but they can support much healthier skin over time.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C neutralizes free radicals and plays a key role in collagen synthesis. It can brighten hyperpigmentation and improve overall skin tone.
The challenge is stability. Vitamin C oxidizes easily, which reduces its effectiveness. Stable derivatives like magnesium ascorbyl phosphate are often better tolerated and more shelf-stable.
Both Vitamin A and Vitamin C can increase sun sensitivity, so thoughtful sun protection is important.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E is actually a family of eight compounds (tocopherols and tocotrienols). It protects cell membranes from oxidative damage and helps prevent lipid peroxidation.
We also use Vitamin E in many of our formulations to protect the oils in the product itself from oxidation. In short, Vitamin E does double duty: preserving the formula and protecing your skin.
Which Plant Oils Are Naturally Rich in Antioxidants?
If you’ve made it this far, you might be wondering whether instead of hunting down isolated antioxidant supplements or complicated lab-made ingredients, we can just use whole plant oils that already contain protective compounds?
Yes, we can. And in many cases, that’s a beautifully effective place to start.
Plants, unlike us, can’t walk into the shade or put on sunscreen. They sit in the sun, in the wind, and in the rain, exposed to oxygen and environmental stress all day long. To survive, they produce their own antioxidant defense systems—compounds like tocopherols (Vitamin E), carotenoids (pro–Vitamin A), polyphenols, and flavonoids. When we use minimally processed plant oils, we can harness some of that protective chemistry.
A few oils known for naturally high antioxidant content include the following:
Rosehip seed oilwhich contains carotenoids and naturally occurring trans-retinoic acid derivatives that can support skin tone and elasticity over time.
Pomegranate seed oilrich in polyphenols and punicic acid, both of which have demonstrated antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Sea buckthorn oilloaded with carotenoids and tocopherols—the reason for its vibrant orange hue and its reputation for supporting skin repair.
Argan oilparticularly high in Vitamin E (tocopherols), which helps protect both the skin and the oil itself from oxidative damage.
Sunflower oilespecially high-linoleic varieties, which provide barrier support along with meaningful levels of Vitamin E.
They love oila darker, resinous oil containing antioxidant and anti-inflammatory constituents that may support healing in stressed skin.
What matters, though, is not just which oil you choose—it’s how that oil is processed and stored. Cold-pressed oils retain far more of their natural antioxidant profile than highly refined ones. Fresh oils outperform old ones. And oils stored in clear bottles on sunny shelves are already fighting a losing battle against oxidation before they ever reach your skin.
An antioxidant-rich oil that has already oxidized is not doing you any favors.
This is one reason I prefer working with whole, well-sourced plant oils in our skincare formulations. You’re not just adding a single isolated molecule; you’re supporting the skin with a complex, synergistic network of compounds that evolved together in nature.
And as with everything in biology, balance matters. We’re not trying to eliminate oxidation; we’re trying to support the body’s remarkable ability to manage it.
Summary: What Is an Antioxidant, Anyway?
An antioxidant is simply a molecule that interrupts oxidative damage before it spreads.
It is not magic. It is not a cure-all. It is a stabilizer.
And in a world full of environmental stressors, stabilizers matter.
There is far more to say about oxidative stress, free radicals, mitochondrial damage, and cellular aging. But that feels like enough chemistry for one sitting.
As a reward for sticking with me, here’s a breakfast bowl loaded with natural antioxidants—from berries to seeds to whole grains—so you can go out and face the world with fewer dangling bonds.
Radical Avenger Breakfast Bowl
2/3 cup cooked brown rice
1/2 cup blueberries
1/2 cup raspberries
1 tablespoon chia seeds
1 tablespoon ground flax seeds
1 tablespoon hemp seeds
1 tablespoon sunflower seeds
1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
1 cup almond milk
Drizzle of honey if you like
I add sprouted sunflower and pumpkin seeds for a little extra nutrition, and they’re lightly salted, which adds a lovely contrast to the sweetness of the berries.
This is a power breakfast. May it make you feel like a superhero, and may your cells remain drama-free.
With radical amounts of love—and blueberries,
The information contained in this post is for educational interest only. This information is not intended to be used for diagnosis or treatment of any physical or mental illness, disease, or skin conditions.
