What Are Free Radicals?
The term “free radicals” gets bandied about a lot, but what does it mean? What is a free radical? How do free radicals play a role in your life and in your beauty routine?
To get a bit scientific for a moment: Free radicals are oxygen rich molecules with an uneven number of electrons. Being uneven essentially makes these molecules unbalanced and therefore unstable. We use free radicals to fight things like bacteria that invade the body, but an excess number can lead to issues within the body or on the surface of the skin.
Free radicals exist in just about everything in our modern lives. When they react with oxygen molecules in our body they can cause long chain reactions. Some of these reactions can be positive, like fighting bacteria and pathogens. When free radicals oxidize and cause a negative chain reaction it can lead to the development of diseases or inflammation.
Countering inflammation is the key to keeping free radicals in check. This is where antioxidants come into play. Antioxidants essentially transfer a molecule to the free radical, which evens it out. This stabilization effect is why antioxidants are so important. With less reactive and aggressive free radicals, our body is less likely to experience illness and inflammation.
Where Are Free Radicals?
Great question!
Free radicals exist just about everywhere. Environmental free radicals can take a significant toll on our skin and our body.
Think about where you live. In the hustle and bustle of a city there’s all sorts of environmental factors we live with everyday but don’t necessarily link to our skincare. Things like:
- Pollution
- Cigarette smoke
- Radiation
- UV Rays
Can affect the look and feel of your skin, thanks to the external environmental free radicals. Whether you have enough antioxidants to counter the effect of environmental stressors is largely up to your diet and skincare routine.
Internal stressors that can create free radicals include:
- Stress
- Poor diet
- Lack of exercise
- Excessive alcohol consumption
Life is all about balance, so making sure you live a healthy lifestyle while balancing out moments of excess is key.
But how can you simplify your routine and still enjoy city living?
Why Is Countering Free Radicals Important For Skincare?
We know that we are what we eat. When you have a meal full of saturated fats and sugar you’re most likely going to feel bloated and uncomfortable, your skin might break out or become inflamed and you might even sleep poorly. This is because it's really difficult for our body to digest such heavy, fatty foods. It's also a lot of free radicals coming into the body all at once.
In order for the body to be able to properly counteract this, there has to be enough antioxidants to neutralize those uneven molecules entering our system. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants like Vitamin C and E is key. Supporting a balanced diet with a regular exercise routine and ensuring you get enough sleep will go a long way to help your body even out the effects of excess.
One of the most dangerous environmental skin stressors is sunlight and UV Rays. We tend to think more about the sun in the summer months since we’re more likely to be out and about and feeling the effects of the sunshine. Sun protection however, should be a year round concern.
Sunlight and UV Rays can damage the skin causing hyperpigmentation or even affecting the skin by UV radiation. Daily protection from a sunscreen that blocks out UV Rays is essential, no matter the time of year. Adding in an overnight tool to repair and rejuvenate the skin is an essential but often overlooked skincare step.
Adding a Skin+ Pillowcase to your bedtime routine is a great way to help boost your skincell repair and regeneration. The patented Tencel fabric is infused with microcapsules filled with antioxidant carotenoids that release and attach themselves to the skin, repairing skin cells overnight.
How Does Skin+ Help Against Free Radicals?
Skin+ is designed to support your skincare routine by boosting the repair and regeneration of skin cells. The probiotic filled microcapsules slowly burst and release antioxidant carotenoids when you shift your position in sleep. The carotenoids attach themselves to the skin, working to neutralize the free radical molecules that are produced by the body or by your external environment.
Carotenoids are potent antioxidants that help to restore damaged skin cells and work to protect them from further damage. They also help to boost the elasticity of the skin by promoting the production of collagen and elastin, reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
Skin+ sleep technology fabric is designed to increase your skin’s contact with the regenerative properties of probiotic carotenoids. The body processes these carotenoid antioxidants as Vitamin A, which is essential for skin cell repair and replenishment.
Vitamin A is one of the most essential vitamins for your skin. It promotes the development and regeneration of new skin cells, which protects the top layer of your skin, the epidermis, from degeneration. Skin+ harnesses this restorative power, allowing your skin to look and feel smoother, fuller and brighter.
Using your Skin+ Pillowcase is essential for year round skin protection. We often think of protecting our skin during the most inclement months like summer and winter, when we physically experience environmental changes and effects on our skin. In the summer, we tend to apply sunscreen more rigorously than the rest of the year. While in winter, the skin might experience bouts of dryness and irritation from wind and the drop in temperature.
Harnessing the power of the Skin+ can provide you with year round skin protection.
What Else Can I Do To Protect My Skin?
Skincare, like everything else in life, is all about balance and consistency. The basic tenets of a healthy lifestyle also apply to your skincare routine and will help to boost the look and feel of your skin. Eating a balanced diet, enjoying consistent exercise and getting enough sleep will do wonders for your skin.
Supplementing your existing skincare routine with a physical exfoliator like the 100% Raw Silk Mitt will help to remove dead skin cells, leaving your complexion fresher and brighter. The Raw Silk Mitt by Beauty Pillow is gentle enough to use everyday or just a few times a week, depending on your skin and your skincare needs.
For long term skincare we suggest boosting your nightly routine with the Anti Aging Beauty Pillow. The Beauty Pillow’s patented design features sleep zones designed to provide orthopedic support to your neck and spine and reduce facial compression. Alleviating the gravitational pressure on your face will help to prevent the development of deep set sleep wrinkles.
These lines differ from expression lines. Sleep wrinkles are formed by the pressure of overnight compression into the face when you sleep. Traditional pillows increase the pressure and tension absorbed by your face in sleep, leading to the development of these deep set lines in your face, neck and chest.
We recommend layering a Silk Pillowcase over your Skin+ and Beauty Pillow. Silk’s naturally soft and delicate fibers allow your skin and hair to gently slide across the surface of your pillow. This reduction in friction on your face and hair reduces skin pulling and tugging, and reduces the likelihood of redness or irritation.
Don’t forget to share your Beauty Pillow finds on TikTok and Instagram! We’d love to hear your thoughts, tag us @beautypillow.official!