What is a Free Radical Anyway?

If you have been following Potency No. 710 on social media for any amount of time, chances are you have seen us reference the term free radicals. In this article, we would like to dig deeper into exactly what free radicals are, how they affect your skin’s health, and how CBD skincare products such as those offered here at Potency No. 710 can help rid your body of these unwanted nuisances. Let’s first start by looking at exactly what free radicals are.

What Free Radicals Are

Dr. Noelani Gonzalez, M.D., Director of Cosmetic Dermatology at Mount Sinai in NYC, defines free radicals as being “unstable molecules that can cause damage to our cells.” The instability of these molecules is a result of missing electrons in the outer shell of the cell. This causes the natural response of searching for other atoms or molecules where these electrons may exist and then combining with that cell.

When repeated over and over by free radicals, this process results in what is known as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can wreak havoc on your skin due to its damage to DNA and other parts of the cell.

Factory air pollution
Free radicals are caused by many things we are exposed to that are out of our control including air pollution.

What Causes Free Radicals

When it comes to reducing the number of free radicals in your body, you must first know where said free radicals come from. In many cases, they come from the shortlist below of toxic substances that many of us are exposed to daily, be it voluntarily or not.Air pollution

Sunlight (UV radiation)

Smoking

Alcohol

Pesticides

Poor nutrition

Free Radicals and Our Skin

When it comes to our skin and free radicals, some specific types of damage can be directly related between the two. Free radicals have been proven scientifically to increase the aging process of our skin time and time again.

Free radicals can also result in the appearance of brown spots or broken blood vessels under the skin. They can also weaken the skin’s elasticity causing our skin to become loose and saggy. They can also reduce the skin’s collagen in return, creating wrinkles.

Umbrella
Always protect your skin from harmful UV rays! Check out our Shaded SPF Mineral Sunscreen for protection against free radicals and sun damage!

What You Can Do To Protect Your Skin Against Free Radicals

Antioxidants are your friend! Free radicals are wasted when introduced to the antioxidant properties of various vitamins, supplements, and skincare products. Some of the most potent antioxidants for fighting free radical damage in the skin that many people are familiar with include Vitamin A, C, & E, green tea extract, and turmeric to name a few. Other compounds, such as resveratrol, niacinamide, and astaxanthin, are also all powerhouses of antioxidants.

Gold Serum
Our Gold Serum is packed with antioxidants, and the superpower of CBD!

Our favorite antioxidant, however, comes from our favorite plant, cannabis, and hemp! We are talking about a compound known as Cannabidiol or CBD for short. CBD offers significant defense against free radical damage and a load of antioxidant properties! To learn more about CBD as an antioxidant, check out this blog where we go into more details regarding the science and such behind CBD and it’s antioxidant properties. In the meantime, start fighting those free radicals with Potency No. 710 CBD skincare products. All of our products are powered by plants, and many enhanced with the power of CBD! 

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