Skin is often the first manifestation of the ageing process. You might see a few wrinkles around your eyes, or a few new spots on your hands, or notice your skin is not as elastic as it used to be.
Research shows that skin ageing can be dramatically increased by photo damage caused by exposure to ultraviolet light and exposure to environmental factors such as pollution and chemicals. This damage weaken the molecules in your cells causing them to lose an electron. These electron-deprived molecules are called free radicals, or oxidants. Because they are missing an electron, they continuously bombard and attack other molecules to try to make up for this missing electron. This free radical action damages more of your cells.
Whether your skin has aged due to damage, exposure, or simply time, it's structure is changed. Collagen levels become lower and proteins are more disorganized – this results in increased skin fragility and laxity. These changes can lead to an overall dull skin appearance. More importantly, ageing causes the skin to lose some of its protective ability.
Topical antioxidants such as oleic acid found in Mafura Butter work to block free radicals that cause ageing. It also keeps them from penetrating deeper into the skin. As the name suggests, antioxidants stop oxidative damage by replacing a molecule’s missing electron. This disarms the free radicals and stops them from continuing to damage your skin’s cellular structure. The more antioxidants your skin has, the better able it is to protect itself from the constant bombarding of free radicals.
Check out our products with antioxidant properties: Heart of Africa Body Balm