Skip to main content

Vitamins and Other Antioxidants

  • Living reference work entry
  • Latest version View entry history
  • First Online:
Daily Routine in Cosmetic Dermatology

Abstract

The term cosmeceutical was created over 25 years ago to define products with active substances that cannot be considered cosmetics or drugs. Oxidative stress has been recognized as a fundamental factor in the process of skin aging, since the skin is constantly exposed to solar radiation and environmental pollution, which are capable of inducing the formation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species. Topically applied antioxidants are an important group of cosmeceutical agents capable of preventing and reducing UV-induced skin damage, by protecting skin cells against the action of free radicals. A variety of antioxidants can be applied topically, including vitamins and its derivates, enzymes, minerals, and plant-derived compounds. Vitamins are essential compounds for many functions of the human organism. Scientific evidence shows that, in addition to their specific functions, certain vitamins are useful for prevention, as well as for topical treatment of photoaging and chronologic skin aging. Cosmeceuticals that contain topically applied vitamins have an increasing role in skin care. The mechanisms of action of these molecules, the proper formulation for topical use, and the scientific data that support their efficacy are important aspects to consider when prescribing antioxidant cosmeceuticals.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Afaq F, Mukhtar H. Botanical antioxidants in the prevention of photocarcinogenesis and photoaging. Exp Dermatol. 2006;15(9):678–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Andreassi M, Andreassi L. Antioxidants in dermocosmetology: from the laboratory to clinical application. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2003;2(3–4):153–60.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Baxter R. Anti-aging properties of resveratrol: review and report of a potent new antioxidant skin care formulation. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2008;7(1):2–7.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke K. Interaction of vitamins C and E as better cosmeceuticals. Dermatol Ther. 2007;20(5):314–21.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Burke K. Photodamage of the skin: protection and reversal with topical antioxidants. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2004;3(3):149–55.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chen L, Wang S. From the bottle to the skin: challenges in evaluating antioxidants. Photodermatol Photoimmunol Photomed. 2012;28(5):228–34.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chiu A, Kimball A. Topical vitamins, minerals and botanical ingredients as modulators of environmental and chronological skin damage. Br J Dermatol. 2003;149(4):681–91.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ebner F, Heller A, Rippke F, Tausch I. Topical use of dexpanthenol in skin disorders. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2002;3(6):427–33.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Evans J, Johnson E. The role of phytonutrients in skin health. Nutrients. 2010;2(8):903–28.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Farris P. Idebenone, green tea, and coffeeberry® extract: new and innovative antioxidants. Dermatol Ther. 2007;20(5):322–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fraga CG, Motchnik PA, Shigenaga MK, Helbock HJ, Jacob RA, Ames BN. Ascorbic acid protects against endogenous oxidative DNA damage in human sperm. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1991;88(24):11003–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Hemmati A, Houshmand G, Ghorbanzadeh B, Nemati M, Behmanesh M. Topical vitamin K1 promotes repair of full thickness wound in rat. Indian J Pharm. 2014;46(4):409–12.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kohen R, Gati I. Skin low molecular weight antioxidants and their role in aging and in oxidative stress. Toxicology. 2000;148:149–57.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lin F, Lin J, Gupta R, Tournas J, Burch J, Angelica Selim M, et al. Ferulic acid stabilizes a solution of vitamins C and E and doubles its photoprotection of skin. J Invest Dermatol. 2005;125(4):826–32.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manela-Azulay M. Tratamento Medicamentosoem Dermatologia Cosmética. In: Azulay R, Azulay D, Azulay-Abulafia L, editors. Rio de Janeiro: Dermatologia. Guanabara Koogan; 2013. p.1074–78.

    Google Scholar 

  • Manela-Azulay M, Bagatin E. Cosmeceuticals vitamins. Clin Dermatol. 2009;27:469–74.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Manela-Azulay M, Issa MCA. VitaminasTópicas. In: Costa A, editor. Tratadointernacional de cosmecêuticos. Rio de Janeiro: Grupo Gen – Guanabara Koogan; 2012. p. 444–9.

    Google Scholar 

  • Matsui M, Hsia A, Miller J, Hanneman K, Scull H, Cooper K, et al. Non-sunscreen photoprotection: antioxidants Add value to a sunscreen. J Investig Dermatol Symp Proc. 2009;14(1):56–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Monteiro E, Baumann L. Antioxidantes. In: Costa A, editor. Tratadointernacional de cosmecêuticos. Rio de Janeiro: Grupo Gen – Guanabara Koogan; 2012. p. 316–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Oresajo C, Pillai S, Manco M, Yatskayer M, McDaniel D. Antioxidants and the skin: understanding formulation and efficacy. Dermatol Ther. 2012;25(3):252–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pandel R, Poljsak B, Godic A, Dahmane R. Skin photoaging and the role of antioxidants in its prevention. ISRN Dermatol. 2013;2013:930164.

    PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Pattison DI, Davies MJ. Actions of ultraviolet light on cellular structures. EXS. 2006;96:131–57.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Podda M, Grundmann-Kollmann M. Low molecular weight antioxidants and their role in skin ageing. Clin Exp Dermatol. 2001;26(7):578–82.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poljšak B, Dahmane R. Free radicals and extrinsic skin aging. Dermatol Res Pract. 2012;2012:1–4.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Poljsak B, Dahmane R, Godic A. Skin and antioxidants. J Cosmet Laser Ther. 2013a;15(2):107–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poljsak B, Šuput D, Milisav I. Achieving the balance between ROS and antioxidants: when to use the synthetic antioxidants. Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2013b;2013:1–11.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rahman K. Studies on free radicals, antioxidants, and co-factors. Clin Interv Aging. 2007;2(2):219–36.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Rhie G, Shin M, Seo J, Choi W, Cho K, Kim K, et al. Aging- and photoaging-dependent changes of enzymic and nonenzymic antioxidants in the epidermis and dermis of human skin in vivo. J Invest Dermatol. 2001;117(5):1212–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schagen SK, Zampeli VA, Makrantonaki E, Zouboulis CC. Discovering the link between nutrition and skin aging. Dermato-endocrinology. 2012;4(3):298–307.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sime S, Reeve V. Protection from inflammation, immunosuppression and carcinogenesis induced by UV radiation in mice by topical pycnogenol®. Photochem Photobiol. 2004;79(2):193–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tournas J, Lin F, Burch J, Angelica Selim M, Monteiro-Riviere N, Zielinski J, et al. Ubiquinone, idebenone, and kinetin provide ineffective photoprotection to skin when compared to a topical antioxidant combination of vitamins C and E with ferulic acid. J Invest Dermatol. 2006;126(5):1185–7.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mônica Manela-Azulay .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Springer International Publishing AG

About this entry

Cite this entry

Manela-Azulay, M., Azulay, V., Aguinaga, F., Issa, M.C. (2017). Vitamins and Other Antioxidants. In: Issa, M., Tamura, B. (eds) Daily Routine in Cosmetic Dermatology. Clinical Approaches and Procedures in Cosmetic Dermatology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20250-1_17-2

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20250-1_17-2

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20250-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20250-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Chapter history

  1. Latest

    Vitamins and Other Antioxidants
    Published:
    24 February 2017

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20250-1_17-2

  2. Original

    Vitamins and Other Antioxidants
    Published:
    05 December 2016

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20250-1_17-1