I remember in my early 20’s I had this “A-ha! moment” like– OH! Maybe I should start wearing sunscreen or something to that effect everyday because I don’t want to look like Leather Face! I was completely oblivious about skincare before I started studying basic skin anatomy & physiology when I first enrolled in cosmetology school– way back when! Up until that point, I was convinced that all I ever needed to remain youthful forever was a good eye makeup remover, MAC StudioFix, and a killer haircut & color combo at all times. Shows you what I knew! I became completely engrossed in my skincare textbooks and I was sad when I had to put skincare on the back burner in order to devote more time to color theory, which led me to focusing primarily on haircolor techniques as my specialty for several years.
To my surprise, I came full-circle years later when an opportunity presented itself to me and I participated in a program with skincare ingredients and product education as my focus. Free radical this– peptide that, AHA’s, BHA’s, this list went on! Before then, I had no clue what the heck a peptide even was! For I was a good girl who had been wearing her sunscreen without fail daily now and I thought that was it! All of that lingo can be very confusing, even for someone like me who was studying it for my profession and my salary was pretty much depending on it. Several years of training and extensive education in that area later– I still have trouble keeping up! I’m no longer with that employer and I have to rely on what I read and hear in the media, often remaining hopeful that the claims a company makes are indeed true. It’s hard! Especially when we may not even know what they’re talking about in the first place. I have to say though, it seems like most brands do a great job now with giving us the Cliff’s Notes version of what info we need and we can digest it, then make an educated decision from there. Kudos to those brands!
You may be familiar with previous reviews where I’ve featured products with antioxidants and how they protect your skin against free radicals. Since I’ll be featuring a product from April Rain Skin Science called Day Rainew today which specializes in free radical defense, I want to spend a moment to help familiarize us with what a free radical is and why it’s such a large focus in the anti-aging arena. I’m not a medical professional, but I’d like to share my own very basic theory!
Free radicals are molecules that aren’t happy unless they’re destroying healthy cells like the ones that retain our skin’s youthful appearance. They’re the Debbie Downer, the Party Pooper of the bunch, and the rain on the parade! They damage our skin and other parts of our bodies as well, but let’s focus on the skin. We’re exposed to them unknowingly every day! Here are a few of the most common aggressors:
• Pollution (automobile exhaust)
• Radiation (x-rays)
• Unhealthy Foods (unsaturated fats, alcohol)
• Bacteria
• Viruses
• Cigarette Smoke (even second-hand!)
• UV Light (both natural & artificial)
These aggressors attack the healthy cells of our skin, rendering them pretty helpless on their own– oxidizing them and compromising their integrity. In most cases– this is where premature aging concerns begin. Complete bummer! And there we have it, that dreadful moment we go RUNNING into the nearest department store begging for the best miracle potion they’ve got to stop this madness! Sunscreen is only one must-have in this equation, but it really doesn’t stop there. We need to be mindful of those other pesky free radicals too and we have to send them on a long detour. Antioxidants enter the arena, ready to fight!
April Rain Skin Science offers Day Rainew, to help with topical free radical defense and was formulated with 16 free radical fighting antioxidants to combat all of that unnecessary stress the skin’s healthy cells are exposed to, whether we like it or not! Certain topical antioxidants have been clinically proven effective in interrupting the havoc those aggressors are causing, giving healthy cells a chance to perform at their best. I wore the Day Rainew for 14 days and experienced an obvious visible significant improvement in my skin’s hydration without question. I’m going to credit part of that to the Sodium Hyaluronate which looks like a hero ingredient in their formula for maximum moisture benefits. Since many of the proposed benefits of their HydroPeptide-DR formula would take a considerable amount of time for me to speak on because they are mostly cumulative effects, I’m going to take April Rain at their word regarding the efficacy of their product’s antioxidant combination. I’m a huge believer in the importance of their role as skincare additives and appreciate the ones I spot immediately in Day Rainew’s ingredient list. From my own experience, I know I’ve benefited from a few of them and don’t doubt for a second if they’re helping me now! It’s just comforting to know they’re even in there. I’m in agreement with April Rain that Day Rainew is like a multivitamin for the skin as they’ve suggested.
I don’t know for sure (based on my short experience) if this product can rebuild collagen over time, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, shrink pore size, or give the skin a lifted appearance– but here’s what I am comfortable in saying: It’s a luxurious, rich moisturizing cream that gives my skin superb hydration and offers it more free radical protection than if I weren’t using anything at all, and more antioxidant benefits than if I were using a vitamin C serum in addition to another moisturizer with additional antioxidants since I’m getting those benefits with just this one moisturizer alone! It’s a double-duty beauty product in my opinion. If you have any of these concerns, I urge you to at least take a look into the line as there are more products available from April Rain.
Huh that is so interesting! Up until last I even though free radicals were a good thing (I thought, whatever is free got to be good right?) But when I found out that wasn’t the case I still had no clue what they actually did. Thanks for the info! Now I will daily put on SPF and stay away from harmful environments as well as cigarette smoke! I don’t think I’ll take the step to use products against it just yet, but I love the packaging of April Rain. So cute!
Hey Sarah!
Your comment made me smile and then let out a little chuckle! That’s so funny about “free being good”! Once I learned what all of the fuss was about, I’ve made sure antioxidants are part of my skincare regime because of that old saying– an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. I think of all of the pollution in the air here in LA and get so grossed out! I think the jars are super cute too
xo
Amber
[...] Askmewhats reviews Modelco Lash Wand Heated Eyelash Curler.Beauty Junkies Unite answers the question: What the heck is a free radical, and why should I be concerned? [...]
[...] Beauty Junkies Unite answers the question: What the heck is a free radical, and why should I be concerned? [...]
Have you tried the Antioxidant Serum from Juice Beauty?? Well it is amazing. My skin is so much smoother and looks flawless. I have only been using it for a week and the results are crazy. I loved it so much that I went to their web site and found out that it reduces free radical damage by more than 87%. I bought it at Sephora. TRY THIS!!!
Hiya Tina
Yes, I 110% concur with you! As a matter of fact, I told someone about this serum the night before I read your comment! I’ve tried several Juice Beauty products and I’m super impressed. The concentration of antioxidants in that serum is incredible and the price is super friendly considering the quality and the potency of the product. It is something I’ve personally used and loved– my skin really likes the Juice Beauty Antioxidant serum too. Good call!
xo
Amber