Best Face Moisturizers: 6 Reasons Why They Have Antioxidants

By krista / 18 December 2023

Best Face Moisturizers: 6 Reasons Why They Have Antioxidants

Antioxidants are like the unsung heroes of skincare. Powerful anti-agers such as retinol and peptides get all the glory for their ability to visibly reverse skin damage caused by environmental and climate aggressors (like sun and pollution), but it’s antioxidants in the best face moisturizers that can stop this damage from occurring in the first place.

 

That’s why you can find potent antioxidants in the best face moisturizers from Pour Moi: Climate-Smart®Day Creams and the Night Cream, which include vitamins A, C, and E, and botanicals such as white truffle, soy, and oats. While using them may feel a bit like a leap of faith since you can’t necessarily see the changes in your skin, the research behind them is compelling enough for skin experts to recommend you get a mix in your skincare routine every single day. Here are six reasons—all rooted in science—your skin needs them, whether you live in a tropical, polar, temperate, or desert climate.

The Best Face Moisturizers Contain Antioxidants That Can…

1. Protect Against UV Rays

Ultraviolet radiation (UVR) unleashes free radicals, unstable molecules that look to latch onto your skin cells and cause damage, causing wrinkles, spots, and even cancer. UVR is a constant in every climate, whether you live in a bitter cold polar environment, or a hot and sunny tropical locale. Antioxidants are self-sacrificing ingredients. They step up to the plate and bind to free radicals, neutralizing them before they can do any harm to your skin. Studies have shown that antioxidant-rich vitamins C and E, especially when paired together, work well to combat UV damage. Find them in the best face moisturizers for daytime: Pour Moi Day Creams.

2. Take Down Redness

Antioxidants can calm cranky, irritated, and red skin. “Vitamin E is one of the most anti-inflammatory vitamins, and it may help with reducing facial redness,” says Debra Jaliman, M.D., New York City-based dermatologist and author of Skin Rules: Trade Secrets of a Top New York City Dermatologist. “Vitamin A may also reduce and fade redness in the skin caused by rosacea,” she adds.

3. Shield Skin from Pollution

Similar to UV radiation, pollution—soot, smog, smoke, gas emissions—also generates skin-damaging free radicals. Plus, microscopic air particles, known as particulate matter, are tiny enough to get into your pores and cause inflammation, which can lead to everything from wrinkles to an uneven complexion. In a 2016 study in the Journal of Investigative Dermatology, researchers found that chronic exposure to traffic-related air pollution caused brown spots in both Caucasian and Asian women. Antioxidants in the best face moisturizers can help prevent the oxidative stress and inflammation caused by pollution.

4. Fight Acne

A recent study in The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology suggests that free radicals may also play a role in your break outs. The researchers believe that oxidative stress causes inflammation, which then triggers clogged pores and pimples in those with acne-prone skin. Antioxidants not only disarm the free radicals, but also quell inflammation, so your skin is less likely to break out. If you live in a hot and humid climate which can exacerbate acne, you especially want to make sure you're using Pour Moi Tropical Day and Night Cream, which include acne-reducing antioxidants such as vitamin A and E.

5. Brighten Dark Spots

Dark spots aren’t just a result of air pollution; they also come from too much sun (listen up if you live in a tropical or desert climate). Certain antioxidants like vitamin C have been shown to prevent brown spots from forming by inhibiting a key enzyme responsible for melanin production. Topical vitamin C can also brighten existing splotches on skin’s surface. Make sure you're protecting yourself by using Pour Moi Serum (Black or White), both of which have concentrated doses of vitamin C. And follow up with either Tropical or Desert Day Cream, also rich is vitamin C. Because Pour Moi microencapsulates the vitamin C, it stays stable until it reaches its destination in your skin and then fully dissolves without any irritations.

6. Stimulate Fresh Collagen

Collagen production starts to lag with age. Plus, environmental aggressors such as UV radiation can break down collagen and cause premature aging (read: lines and wrinkles). Antioxidant vitamins A and C have been proven to play a role in promoting new collagen growth, so skin stays firm and smooth. You especially want these antioxidants in your night cream, when your skin goes into repair and replenish mode. And as mentioned above, in Pour Moi products these key antioxidants are microencapsulated to preserve their potency, and keep them stable, until they reach where they're going. They then fully dissolve for maximum absorption on your skin. Bonus: “They are also, for the most part, not irritating to the skin like retinol (a derivative of vitamin A), so people with all types of skin including rosacea can use them,” says Jaliman.