Cosmeceuticals > Antioxidant Creams and Serums
No matter what their intended use, most cosmeceutical creams contain at least one or more antioxidants, most commonly vitamin C and E. Somehow, it just sounds right.
Antioxidants as a supplement are discussed in the Anti-Aging Section above.
There is a wide choice of creams that supposedly allow their antioxidants to penetrate into the skin's outermost surface. Exactly how much gets underneath and if any of it remains biologically active are unknowns.
Sometimes, the creams are combined with other ingredients that break down the skin's normal defense barriers to allow penetration.
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Besides differentiating one brand from another, the goal of including an antioxidant is to "counteract free radicals" supposedly present in the outermost layer of the skin (which is getting ready to shed any day). We say "goal" because that's all it is. Nobody has even proven that free radicals are causing any problems there or are affected in the slightest by the application of a cream containing trace amounts of this or that antioxidant.
The other commonly stated goal is to strengthen the fibroblasts, a cellular component of skin, and stimulate collagen production. Does any of this actually happen? Maybe in a test tube or a Petri dish tissue culture under very high concentrations. But with cream on human skin? And why would an antioxidant strengthen a fibroblast anyway?
Somehow, it just sounds right.
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