Skin antioxidants: assessment of therapeutic value

Abstract

As an organ permanently exposed to the environment, the skin is often a target for oxidative stress. A part of this oxidative stress is caused by endogenous sources such as neutrophils or pathological processes linked to inflammatory skin diseases. Moreover, chemicals, gases or ultraviolet light (UV) may be exogenous causes for oxidative stress in the skin. Over the course of evolution, the skin has developed a complex defence system to protect the organism from oxidative damage. An overload of this system seems to be responsible, at least partially, for serious skin diseases including the formation of tumours and premature skin ageing. Hence, it seems to be a reasonable strategy to support the natural defence system of the skin by the application of antioxidants. Basically, there are two different approaches to this: topical administration of an antioxidant and oral ingestion. Based on a review of the patent literature of the period 1999 – 2002, the present paper discusses the usefulness of the proposed antioxidants.

• antioxidants
• free radicals
• inflammatory skin disease
• oxidative stress
• radical scavenger
• skin
• ultraviolet (UV) light