Research Summary
Antiaging skin care represents a large segment of the cosmetic products market. Such products typically claim to contain the ultimate "miracle in a jar," that is, a unique active molecule that maintains the youthful aspect of the skin by promoting cellular activity in the epidermis and the dermis. However, to the best of our knowledge, there is no such miracle antiaging compound; the best current approach is to combine antiaging natural antioxidants acting in synergy.
"Synergy" means that the global effects of these combined natural antioxidants will be greater than the sum of each one's specific effects. In this chapter, we will develop the concept of how antioxidants play an important role in the prevention of premature aging. We will also address several key questions:
- Why have antioxidants become major ingredients in antiaging cosmetics?
- Why are natural antioxidants preferred to synthetic ones by so many brands?
- What are the best approaches to measure antioxidant concentration, efficacy, and long-term effects on the skin?
- What can we learn from the large epidemiological studies on nutrition-based antioxidants that have recently been published?
- What is the relevance of topical application of plant antioxidants (phytoantioxidants), particularly concerning the outer layer of the skin, the stratum corneum, compared to nutritional antioxidants?
The answers we propose are based on available data and may be subject to change in the future, but they provide a basis for further investigation and pave the way for the optimal use of phytoantioxidants in skin aging prevention.
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