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Lipophilic Antioxidants

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Lipids and Skin Health

Abstract

Skin is the organ of the body which is exposed more to the oxidative attack of free radicals and reactive oxygen species (ROS) originated from various environmental stimuli such as ultraviolet (UV) radiation, air pollutants, or chemicals. ROS and free radicals are also produced during normal cellular metabolism. To counteract the harmful effects of ROS, the various compartments of the skin (epidermis, dermis, subcutis) are equipped with specific antioxidant systems located in the different skin layers, which help to maintain an equilibrium between ROS and antioxidants and thus prevent oxidative stress. Lipophilic antioxidants such as tocopherols and carotenoids are all highly effective antioxidants which can protect the cell membranes from lipid oxidation. These lipophilic antioxidants are also important nutrients that are receiving growing attention in the skin care industry because of their antioxidant and mostly photoprotective properties. Therefore, it is imperative to summarize the most important lipophilic antioxidants, their antioxidant mechanisms, and their effects on skin health.

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  1. National and Kapodistrian, University of Athens, Athens, Greece

    Vasiliki Lagouri

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Correspondence to Vasiliki Lagouri .

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  1. Johnson & Johnson, Skillman, New Jersey, USA

    Apostolos Pappas

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Lagouri, V. (2015). Lipophilic Antioxidants. In: Pappas, A. (eds) Lipids and Skin Health. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-09943-9_20

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