Breathing Makes us Old (But Not Breathing Makes us Dead)

Technically, if you didn’t breathe oxygen and burn it with food to create energy, you wouldn’t age. (Less technically) Your spiffy Dorian Gray mode wouldn’t matter as you’d be dead as a doorknob.

Have you ever noticed how the story of free radicals and antioxidants often gets oversimplified in skincare and wellness conversations? Like the desire to look our best and be healthy up to a ripe old age somehow plummets our IQ, and we need to be patronized with marginally scientific fluff. This is why we are here today - to teach you a biochemically accurate explanation of free radicals and why antioxidants neutralize them. We want you to know WHY you should adopt a healthy lifestyle and use antioxidant skincare, rather than just parroting trends. We want you to consider oxidative stress as something affecting every cell of the body, not just the skin surface, and to be able to make informed choices about your wellbeing. Yes, you can, of course, just do the actionable final step of an argument because you were told it is right. Still, it is much easier to do the right thing if you have a clear why propelling you forward, if you try to understand and think about what exactly you (as a non-generic individual) need.

We’ve all heard the words antioxidants, free radicals, oxidative stress, and antioxidant foods so often that they almost become background noise, which we learn to tune out. Have you ever tried repeating one word as a kid until it lost all meaning? Something akin to this. This means that context matters, and things ripped out of their context become shallow ghosts with no power in the physical world. So today, we’ll ask: What are antioxidants? What are free radicals? And why do dermatologists, nutritionists, and beauty editors seem to be obsessed with completely erradicating them? Should we even get rid of all of them completely? We’ll talk about what the best antioxidant foods are, what lifestyle choices account for the largest oxidative stress damage, and so much more. So, let’s radically free ourselves with knowledge.

What Are Free Radicals, Really?

Free radicals can be atoms or molecules (more atoms put together) that contain one or more unpaired electrons in their outer orbital. This makes the atom or molecule unstable and quite likely to go rogue, rudely looting other atoms and molecules in an effort to stabilize itself. Why? Electrons prefer to exist in pairs because it gives them a more stable configuration. Free radicals are highly reactive, chemically restless, ambitious, slightly unhinged, and determined to steal electrons from whatever unfortunate lipid (fat), protein, or nucleic acid (you may know the superstars DNA and RNA) passes by.
 

That’s the free radicals definition that textbooks agree on. The most relevant free radicals for human bodies are reactive oxygen species (ROS), making the very element that keeps us (breathing) and alive, responsible for our decline into old age, and eventually feeding the daisies.

ROS are a natural byproduct of being alive, generated through mitochondrial respiration, specific immune responses, and enzymatic reactions, all of which are necessary, but coexist with this radical underbelly. You know the old saying. “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.” Well, there isn’t. Even the body understands that an exchange needs to take place.

Demonized in the current narrative, free radicals are not inherently villains. ROS also have useful functions as cellular messengers, helping regulate apoptosis (programmed cell death when it gets old, sluggish, or defective), angiogenesis (formation of new blood vessels), and even microbial defense. Nature is not dumb. If it were, you wouldn’t be here. It creates things as a part of a larger system, not just single-use, isolated compounds, as we like to break down and view them.

So, what is a free radical? It is not a toxin, but a reactive molecule with useful purposes that becomes a problem only when produced in excess. The problem is not ROS, but the imbalance of ROS and antioxidant defenses.

Suppose there are not enough antioxidants to deal with the free radical load. In that case, you can get nonspecific, chain-reaction damage to cell membranes, enzymes, and structural proteins (such as collagen and elastin), strand breaks in DNA, and mitochondrial damage, which makes your cells less capable of producing energy and sustaining themselves.

The bad news is that if left unchecked, the cumulative damage of excess free radicals can significantly contribute to visible aging, systemic and localised inflammation, and various diseases, such as cancer, neurodegeneration, and cardiovascular disease. We’d like to keep our body cancer-free, our mind sharp, and our heart strong for as long as possible, and that is where the free radicals’ counterpart - the antioxidant - comes in.

What Do Antioxidants Do?

The antioxidant hype is not entirely without merit. What are antioxidants? They are the free radicals’ alters, the molecules that have an extra electron (or hydrogen atom) to donate to the rowdy free radicals, without becoming destabilized themselves. This effectively breaks the free radical chain reaction before it becomes a problem for the body. The whole antioxidant meaning condensed to one sentence is something like this: Antioxidants stop free radicals from damaging cells by donating electrons safely.
 

Our bodies have their own antioxidant systems (endogenous) because the formation of ROSs and other free radicals is a normal part of metabolism, and the body has an innate capability to take care of its business. The majority of us no longer grow our own food, hunt, or fish. We don’t do intense physical labour as a regular part of our lives, or spend our days out in the fresh air. We are now modern, smog-filled city dwellers living on caffeine and processed food, sitting and stressing our days away in front of screens. Modern life generates far more ROS than our intrinsic systems were evolutionarily designed to safely handle, contributing to the epidemic of chronic disease sweeping the developed world.

The most common free radical risk factors are:

• UV radiation
• Pollution
• Chronic inflammation
• High-glycemic diets
• Smoking
• Psychological stress
• Sleep deprivation

This is where dietary antioxidants and topical antioxidants (exogenous antioxidants) step in as reinforcements. The most well-known are:

• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Vitamin E (tocopherols/tocotrienols)
• Polyphenols (flavonoids, resveratrol (p.s. There is some in (good) red wine), catechins)
• Carotenoids (beta-carotene, lycopene)
• Niacinamide
• Selenium

These are not things mentioned left and right just because they sound cool, but because we truly do need more antioxidants in the modern climate, as the tectonics of our daily lives have shifted into a pattern that supports free radical formation, and we need to counter that unless looking old and being sick is not on your bucket list.

Antioxidants Benefits

Once again, keep in mind that we don’t want to completely erase all traces of free radicals. We really do need low-level ROS for homeostasis and redox balance (the equality between the lost and gained electrons in reactions). The body needs to know it’s consuming and breathing, and this biochemical stability and balance at the nanoscale translates into visible beauty at the macroscale. You know those people who are far from being spring chickens but look so healthy, strong, and resilient, dignified, and well-taken care of. This is what balance looks like. Not perfect alien-smooth skin, but a face that’s lived, acquired some laugh lines, but is still fresh and glowing.

Some of the main antioxidant benefits are that they:

• Reduce lipid peroxidation → meaning healthier cell membranes; no membrane = no defined cell
• Protects structural proteins, such as collagen and elastin, from ROS-related degradation; collagen gives strength, and elastin provides elasticity
• Minimize inflammatory cascades: systemic or localized, prolonged, low-level inflammation is the perfect backdrop for the development of chronic diseases
• Support wound healing, which becomes ever more important as we grow older and our own cellular repair processes naturally slow down
• Improve overall cell signaling efficiency; the more the cells can talk to each other and their surroundings, the more efficiently they function, and the better and more energized you feel.
• Slow the visible signs of aging, which reflect the state of our insides. Good skin is not just shallow vanity, but a reflection of life choices compounded through decades

Antioxidant Foods and Mitochondrial Health

You can’t out-serum or out-treat a chronically nutrient-poor diet, no matter how good your LED mask or microcurrent facial device is. You may smooth over some dents, but there is no better beauty routine than the one that combines topical interventions with a change in lifestyle habits, be it starting to exercise and/or eat better, stopping bad habits, and getting rid of well-known mitochondrial toxins, such as pollutant and dangerous fumes, pesticides, herbicides, heavy metals, excess sugar and fructose (especially from glucose-fructose syrup), and alcohol. But here we’ll mostly focus on the solulu (and not the delulu that it is possible to live 100% clean 100% of the time. We’ll offer simple additions to help fill your antioxidant gaps, keeping you healthy and looking fabulous indefinitely.
 

Some of the best antioxidant foods include:

• Berries (anthocyanins)
• Dark leafy greens (lutein, vitamins C and E)
• Tomatoes (lycopene)
• Green tea (catechins)
• Citrus fruits (vitamin C)
• Nuts and seeds (vitamin E, selenium)
• Turmeric (curcumin)
• Cocoa (flavanols, yes, real chocolate, not candy bars)

This is by no means the only food with antioxidants. Any real food that has not been destroyed beyond recognition by overprocessing will have some. Eating and burning calories in the presence of air is damaging. To be alive means to accumulate damage; that’s why nature built medicine right into the very thing that causes the damage. If you remember anything from this list, remember the overarching rule: eat food, not products or mass-produced semblances of nutrition.

Topical Antioxidants in Skincare

We’d like to complement our internal repair and restoration with an external influx of antioxidants that can collaborate to optimize skin repair, reinforce the barrier, and help keep inflammation in check. By regularly using skincare packed with topical antioxidants, you’ll be able to brag with a synergistic effect with antioxidant foods and look vastly different than those who disregard this effect. The best antioxidants in skincare are:

• Vitamin C (ascorbic acid)
• Vitamin E (tocopherols)
• Niacinamide
• Coenzyme Q10
• Resveratrol
• Ferulic acid
• Polyphenol-rich botanical extracts

When you’re investing in a new skincare product and are serious about naturally slowing cellular aging, check the ingredient lists carefully and opt for products from reputable brands that have strict third-party testing to ensure what's on the bottle is actually in it.

Bonus Tips

A FOREO SUPERCHARGED™ skincare collection worth exploring:

Serum 2.0
HA+PGA Triple-Action Intense Moisturizer
Barrier Restoring Essence Mist
Eye & Lip Contour Booster
Triple-Action Firming Serum
Firming Body Serum
Overnight Skin Repair Face Oil
Ultra-Hydrating Sleeping Mask

FAQ™ Swiss Skincare Line

FAQ™ P1 Manuka Honey Primer   
Microneedling Anti-Wrinkle Hyaluronic Acid Patches (for Forehead & Under Eyes)
Scalp Recovery & Thick Hair Probiotic Serum  
Glass Skin Collagen Face Mask    
Body Sculpt Serum
Red Light Peptide Serum  

Common Sense for Balance

Living healthily may sometimes include a bit of biohacking, but, far from cryopods and blood plasma facilas, most of the time it’s just about a handful of common-sense tips. You know these already; we’re just here to put things into perspective. What is good for the mitochondria and free radical damage is good for the body as a whole, including skin health and looking youthful and vibrant, which we presume you’ve come here for today. So, what will support our bodies’ ability to maintain equilibrium in a modern world that constantly tilts and seesaws it off-balance?

The answer lies in a wonderfully holistic garden of just being human, honouring our bodies' time to rest and recover, protecting against harsh environmental factors, and viewing food as fuel, not a distraction when we’re bored. We’re not testing grounds for products that look like food.

A diet rich in diverse antioxidant foods

Don’t just choose one single antioxidant-rich “health food” and obsessively consume it in absurd amounts. This is a great way to develop nutritional deficiencies. Kale will not solve everything, and 2 pounds of citrus fruit a day, every day, can do more harm than good. Always go for diversity. A bit of this and a bit of that, rich deep colours, and a few bites of all that is in season is your best bet. A lot of micronutrients, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants have little co-ops that do great things when combined. If, for some reason, you can't get the nutrition you need where you live, opt for some quality supplements. 

Smart sun protection

A story as old as public health. Protect yourself from prolonged sun exposure. People stayed in cool shades, ladies wore hats and sun umbrellas, and now we have SPF. Use it. We need the sun for numerous aspects of our biology, such as circadian rhythms, mood stabilisation, vitamin D synthesis, and much more. We’ve evolved under its radiation and crave sunlight. But 15 minutes per direct exposure will do it. After that, wear protective and shading garments and apply some sun protection to exposed body parts, no matter how dark your natural skin tone is. Wrinkles, fine lines, age spots, and a rough texture mean sun damage and account for 90% of visible skin aging.

Skin-friendly antioxidant actives

This we’ve already explained with the endogenous and exogenous (internal and external) antioxidants working in tandem to protect all of the cellular structures, including the skin cells, keeping the skin looking fresh and youthful for much longer. There is no need for invasive skin-tightening procedures unless you have a very pressing problem, like a lot of loose skin after significant weight loss. Don’t cut into your flesh unless unavoidable. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Enough sleep to let mitochondria recover

We can’t stress this enough. Nothing, absolutely nothing, you try to look younger, and no amount of antioxidants will work unless you get your rest. This is not drama just for the sake of drama, or to relax from the scientific upper half of our discussion. If we were to forget everything else here, please prioritize sleep. Nothing will age you as much as ROS accumulation due to chronic sleep deprivation. While we sleep, repair, and cleanup crews are diligently working to give you a new body in the morning, and even one day of sleep deprivation will leave you equally impaired as if you were legally drunk. Keep it up, and all of your recovery mechanisms start to break down, and the only thing worse than looking old is looking old and worn out. The good news is that a few good nights of sleep can reverse a lot of the damage.

Stress management

There is nothing inherently wrong with stress. It is a normal part of life for all species. But a zebra won’t ruminate on the implications of its death after being chased by a lion. It will soon calm down and continue grazing. But humans are blessed with the ability to comprehend the concepts of the past and future, so we can be stressed about a memory from 10 years ago or worry about tomorrow or the next decade. This chronic stress environment is a fertile ground for dysfunction and disease, and will throw our free radical nd antioxidant balance off. Plus, if you’re chronically stressed, you’ll be stuck in survival mode and less likely to take good care of yourself.

Mindful exposure to environmental triggers

You don’t have to micromanage every free radical or frantically aspire to be a bubble person untouched by the outside world and its risks. It is not possible (or necessary) to eliminate all the harmful aspects of the environment, as even the simplest acts of breathing and digesting food will cause some free-radical damage. There will be pollution, subpar food, depleted soil, furniture fumes, and exposure to toxins. Our job here is to manage our antioxidant and ROS balance by avoiding deliberate and unnecessary triggers and toxins, such as smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, hyper-processed foods, aggressive cleaning supplies, and low-quality cosmetics.

Conclusion

If there’s one single thing this deep dive into free radicals, antioxidants, and oxidative stress should leave you with, echoing years from now, it’s that aging and decline aren’t a moral failure or a biochemical betrayal. It is the inevitable tax we pay for the privilege of being alive. Breathing makes us old, yes, but the alternative of having never lived is unimaginably worse.

Understanding what free radicals are and how our bodies use or neutralise them gives us far more power than any wellness cliché ever could. When we understand what antioxidants do at the cellular level and why both endogenous systems and antioxidant foods matter, we no longer perceive skincare and nutrition as superficial, isolated spheres but complementary rituals in an intelligently lived life.

After a while on this planet, we realise that perfection is just a word, sometimes maybe briefly achievable, yet still a transient absolute that gives us something to strive for, but is unsustainable long-term for a living being. True longevity and looking your best naturally is all about maintaining balance, where free radicals do what they’re meant to do, and antioxidants keep them from hijacking the whole operation. Antioxidant benefits don’t mean erasing time. You will not look 20 if you’re 60, but they will help you age gracefully and stay healthy and vibrant.

So, as you navigate your routines, make decisions on your plate, and curate your skincare shelf, now with the understanding of antioxidant meaning, the ROS dance, and the redox balance, you can make smarter choices. In the end, breathing does make us old… but thinking (and sharing knowledge) makes us timeless. Stay cool, curious, and beautiful, and enjoy living in your skin.