Decoding Antioxidants with The Ordinary

Every day, your skin faces UV rays, pollution and stress, just from living ordinary life. And without daily skincare protection, exposure to these elements can cause visible damage to your skin in the long run.

Enter Multi-Antioxidant Radiance Serum: a daily serum that combines antioxidant and protective technologies to combat environmental stressors (from factors like pollution), which can make skin look dull and prematurely aged.

We’ve added this skin defence serum to The Ordinary’s antioxidant collection for users who want to brighten and protect their skin in one step.

Antioxidants are the safety squad of the skincare world. These molecules work to protect against oxidation and the visible signs of free radical damage.

When levels of free radicals and antioxidants become imbalanced in your skin, this can lead to what is known as oxidative stress, where damage to the skin can occur. Oxidative stress can cause uncontrolled damage to the skin, which can contribute to visible changes to skin over time. Think uneven skin tone, dryness, redness, fine lines and wrinkles, skin barrier disruption, and dull skin.

Antioxidants shield skin by helping to mitigate/counteract the damaging effects of free radicals before the damage takes place. They do this by donating an extra electron to free radicals in order to neutralize them. This is key because free radicals can damage the skin's structural components like collagen and elastin, which can lead to loss of elasticity, firmness, and fine lines and wrinkles over time. This continued ‘stress’ caused by these environmental factors is often referred to as ‘inflammaging’.

Adding sources of antioxidants to your daily skincare regimen is helpful for addressing the visible effects the environment can have on your skin.

Not sure where to start with antioxidants? We’ve got you covered.

Some of the best antioxidants for your skin are thankfully quite common in skincare formulations. Let’s take a look at some of the most popular ones, and what their skincare benefits are.

Vitamin C

This is one of the most common antioxidants in skincare, and for good reason. Vitamin C brightens dull skin, visibly evens skin tone, and promotes a radiant glow. Vitamin C skincare formulations come in two distinct categories: direct vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid) and vitamin C derivatives. To learn more about each, and the science behind how they impact your skin, click here.

Vitamin E

Another member of the vitamin family, vitamin E is an antioxidant that protects skin’s lipid components from environmental stressors that can damage the skin barrier. It can also help moisturize dry skin.

Resveratrol

Resveratrol falls into the polyphenol category of antioxidants. It’s often found in plant sources, however can be produced synthetically. This ingredient can help boost radiance, support skin’s natural collagen, and minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Ferulic Acid

Ferulic Acid happens to be a polyphenol as well, but falls into a further subcategory called “phenolic acids.” Its antioxidant properties can help protect skin’s collagen.

Antioxidant activity has multiple skincare benefits. But knowing which source of antioxidants is right for your unique skin can be tricky. Here are our recommendations based on your skin type.

Dry Skin:

Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F

This lightweight oil helps reduce signs of aging by brightening and balancing uneven skin tone. Unlike direct forms of vitamin C, this hydrating formula contains an oil-soluble vitamin C derivative that converts into vitamin C once applied, giving it less irritation potential. Plus, it has vitamin F—Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids—to help support your skin’s natural hydration barrier.

Oily Skin:

Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%

This lightweight and gentle formulation helps brighten and even skin tone, while reducing signs of aging. Because of its advanced antioxidant properties, it protects skin from the visual effects of damage caused by environmental stressors, helping to maintain a more radiant complexion.

Similar to Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F, this serum contains a vitamin C derivative that converts into vitamin C once applied, making it less likely to cause irritation. The main difference is that this derivative is water-soluble, not oil-soluble. This makes it ideal for those with oily skin.

Sensitive Skin:

EUK 134 0.1%

An oil-like serum that supports your skin to target dull and lacklustre skin tone. By using a self-regenerating molecule that mimics the effects of two powerful antioxidants found naturally in your skin, this high-strength serum helps promote even tone, hydration, and skin radiance. It supports the skin's defense against the visible effects of damage caused by environmental stressors while being suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin.

Multi-Antioxidant Radiance Serum

For a one-step solution, consider Multi-Antioxidant Radiance Serum. It combats multiple concerns associated with oxidative stress and environmental damage. Using 8 protective technologies, including a vitamin C derivative and ginseng, this formulation boosts radiance, while helping to fade visible dark spots and smooth the look of skin texture, all of which help to reduce the appearance of atmospheric skin aging.

Mature Skin:

Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%

A light, oil-like serum that protects skin from the daily impact of oxidative stress. It uses resveratrol and ferulic acid to help protect your skin from the visual effects of damage caused by environmental stressors. When used daily, this serum can target visible signs of aging, while helping your skin to look brighter and smoother. And since water can impair the stability of antioxidants, Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3% is a water-free formula.

Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

This water-free formulation uses direct vitamin C and hyaluronic acid to help visibly reduce signs of aging by brightening and balancing uneven skin tone. It provides 23% pure L-Ascorbic Acid in a water-free formula to help support its stability. What’s more, this water-free formula is supported with spheres of hyaluronic acid for added hydration.