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Oral and topical antioxidant supplements are popularly thought beneficial or harmless, however a mounting body of evidence and clinical experience suggests non-dietary and topical antioxidants can indeed be harmful.

Raising antioxidant levels in the skin and body can be pro-oxidant, accelerating aging, damage and the likelihood of cancer, yet increasing numbers of consumers believe ingesting and applying more antioxidants to their skins can only be better:

• In 2007, researchers found that antioxidant supplementation increases skin cancers in women and that beta carotene, vitamin A, and vitamin E may increase mortality;
  
  
• In 2002, one study of the Vitamin C derivative ascorbyl palmitate (ascorbic acid-6-ascorbyl palmitate) was found to promote skin damage;
  
  
• In 2004, antioxidant supplements were associated with an increased rate of gastrointestinal cancer;
  
  
• In 1996 supplementary beta-carotene and retinol was associated with an increase in lung cancer.

By any measure, some individuals utilizing purportedly antioxidant skin care regimes have some of the worst skin we have ever seen — skin that improves when said regimes are stopped.

Whether their skin be visibly and chronically red, dull, unusually reactive or appearing different or unusual but not better, individuals often persist in using unsuitable antioxidant skin care products.

Beauty therapy, word of mouth, overly simplistic cosmetic analyses and mass media advertising's endless propagation of false ideas about skin and aging are the root source of antioxidant-stimulated skin problems which would never have otherwise emerged.

In the past, beauty therapy and the department store's niche had been to spend an exorbitant amount of time and effort spinning their clients' wheels in the mud with nonsensical ineffective treatments that were made to ring true due to their expense, luxurious, clinical or international flavour.

Luckily, most of the "treatment" supplied was not actively harmful, but it did distract skincare users enough to prevent them from ever attaining actual care of their skin, securing technically unnecessary, permanent deterioration under an ever-changing, disingenuous guise of "skin care."

In the present day, clinics often push cosmeceuticals and antioxidants as the latest penultimate and universally-suitable thing, despite the unchanging organic nature of skin, and despite a flagrant (usually total) lack of expertise required to avoid harm.

Similarly, consumers find "clinically-trialled" and apparently scientific products desirable, however the real-world efficacy of even medically trialled products is often below popular expectations.

Trials and comparisons surrounding idebenone, for example, are inherently flawed — Allergan's Prevage frequently causes acne and irritation, and CosmeceuTechs' Priori are unable to prove actual and consistently superior antioxidant protection.

The skin disease of people applying oxidized and home-made antioxidant skincare is a niche epidemic among obsessive skincare users — fostered online — that is yet to be fully appreciated.

Undesirable effects may not be visible to the untrained eye because topical antioxidant formulas can also produce exfoliation and moisturisation which can mask underlying changes.

Indeed, many cosmetics users are happy to see any change occurring and are often told that temporarily worse skin is a requirement to progress, however not all side effects are appropriate.

Strivectin's Facial Antioxidant marketing claims "facial anti-oxidants can virtually reverse the hands of time" however antioxidants simply do not treat existing skin damage, such as wrinkles.

Guidelines for Antioxidant Use

• Avoid indiscriminate oral antioxidant supplementation — speak to your health care provider before taking supplements to treat or prevent any condition or disease.
  
  
• Topical antioxidants do not actively reverse existing skin aging and cannot replace sunscreens to prevent aging.
  
  
• Compounding biologically active antioxidants (or other ingredients) at home for topical application is a foolhardy practice.
  
  
• Most mild and low-dose topical purported antioxidants are not irritating, however their users don't appear to avert considerable aging either — particularly if antioxidants are chosen by brand rather than individual relevance or if use is inconsistent.
  
  
• Effective use of topical antioxidants generally requires higher concentrations of multiple antioxidant ingredients and is highly dependent on:
  
  
• skin type;
  
  
• condition;
  
  
• the nature of the patient's environmental exposure;
  
  
• overall skin care and procedure use;
  
  
• initial specialist analysis and ongoing follow up.

Realising more than a small degree of benefit and avoiding undesirable effects from antioxidants requires ongoing specialist assessment and care.

Considerably effective antioxidant skin care protocols are substantially revised over time and make use of multiple brands — a practice which greatly increases results while typically lowering cost.

Until more is known, medically unmonitored use of antioxidants in skin care should be restricted to one gentle formula amidst sunscreen.