What is Oxidation

We’ve heard about oxidation or products or ingredients that cause them to possibly change color or efficacy - but what about oxidation of the skin?

Oxygen is an essential part of life. It helps our cells to produce energy needed via food oxidation! This permits organisms to grow and be active! However, through this oxidative chain taking place in the mitochondria of all cells, reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced.

What are ROS?

ROS are highly unstable, reactive molecules, also known as free radicals, that are derived from oxygen molecules. They carry an unpaired electron that are in constant search to bind with another atom or molecule to stabilize themselves.

In physiological amounts, they play an important role for living organisms (communication, process of growth,...), but they can also cause biological damages.

What are the effects of free radicals?

We commonly hear of the external environmental factors when it comes to free radicals: UV exposure, ionizing radiation, and toxins all contribute to the production of them. So why are free radicals a if they are in our environment naturally?

ROS, due to their reactivity, can cause extensive biological damages such as:

• The attacking of lipid molecules → which leads to damages of the cell membrane
• The attacking of proteins → causing inactivation of enzymes and the disruption of metabolic pathways
• The attacking of DNA molecules → yes you read that correctly - this creates genetic mutations and damage

How does the body naturally defend against oxidation?

Fortunately, the body does possess effective defense systems to oxidation including:

• Antioxidant enzymes
• DNA repair enzymes
• Proteases
• Phospholipases

The balance is between the amount of ROS produced and the amount that is regulated naturally by the body: when there is too much ROS (due to external factors for instance, or disfunction of the body regulating mechanisms), there is an imbalance, and that causes oxidative stress to the cells.

How can we boost our natural defenses?

There are different approaches that help to restore a good balance of ROS:

• Reduce free radicals effects with radical scavengers or antioxidants
• Boost the skin’s natural antioxidant defenses

Seppic has active ingredients that help!

EPHEMER™: reinforces the skin’s natural antioxidant ability for skin smoothing benefits

EPHEMER™ is extracted from the gametophyte cells of Undaria pinnatifida algae, highly concentrated in antioxidants to protect itself while in unicellular form. EPHEMER™ has clinically shown to provide a strong immediate (after 1h) and long lasting antioxidant effect (1 month) to the skin and protects mitochondrial DNA for skin smoothing benefits.

SEPITONIC™ M3.0: protects the mitochondria and activate cells metabolism to reduce ROS

SEPITONIC™ M3.0 is a combination of essential minerals that help to protect the mitochondria and helps to reduce oxidation to boost cell renewal. New tests have shown it also protects the mitochondria against internal pollution.

SAKADIKIUM™ reduces the oxidative stress levels of of keratinocytes exposed to pollution, for visible radiant skin

SAKADIKIUM™ is an extract from the butterfly ginger roots that is rich in sugars and essential components of cell membranes and ATP.

For samples or more details, ask us in the chat!

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References:

Kaushik Das and al. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) and response of antioxidants as ROS-scavengers during environmental stress in plants. Available online on https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2014.00053/full