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Our skin is the largest organ on our bodies and beauty begins with the skin. Lots of people equate the look of radiance with beautiful, glowing skin. You need to be healthy inside and out in order for your skin to reflect that healthy radiance.

For some people, beautiful skin is a gift that is bestowed upon us through our genes, while others need to work at obtaining and maintaining beautiful skin.

Whichever group you fall into, if you want to look your best, you will need to devote part of your beauty routine to your skin.

When choosing beauty products, be careful to select products that are kind to your skin.

Some cosmetics may actually leave your skin dull and dry looking when we take them off at night.

Some of the damage that happens to our faces and skin is as a result of free radicals.

Free radicals are compounds that are highly reactive. They are found in our body primarily in two ways: (1) either they are created in the body over the course of normal metabolic functions; or (2) they are introduced from the environment.

By nature, free radicals are unstable since they contain "extra" energy. To lessen the burden of this extra energy, free radicals react with certain chemicals in the body. During this process, free radicals interfere with normal cell function and attack normal, healthy cells.

Without going into too much detail about the science behind it, we all know that the human body is made up of varied types of cells, which, in turn, are composed of molecules. These molecules consist of atoms of single or multiple elements. All of these are held together by chemical bonds. The chain reaction caused by free radicals helps decompose many substances, especially at high temperatures, but this is not necessarily a great situation for our bodies. These reactions can cause damage to our skin.

Detrimental effects of free radicals

So what type of damage can we expect from free radicals? Our cell membranes are made of unsaturated lipids. These lipids are highly susceptible to the damaging nature of free radicals. Free radicals are known to cause oxidative damage, which can lead to a hardening of our lipid cell membranes. Once the lipids harden, the cells will not be able to properly acquire nutrients.

Hardened cells have difficulty communicating with other cells and the body suffers. Most cellular activities will also be handicapped, and free radicals can cause major damages to biological molecules such as DNA, RNA, enzymes, and mitochondria.

This damage has been linked to cancer, premature aging, Parkinson's disease, arteriosclerosis, emphysema, schizophrenia, Alzheimer's disease, and many other illnesses.

Even though free radicals are essential in many functions of our bodies, if they become excessive, then the damage can quickly spiral out of control. As we age, the damages caused by free radicals are more conspicuously felt.

How do we combat free radical damage? The most effective and proven form of protection against free radical damage are antioxidants. Many types of antioxidant enzymes, like super oxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase, are produced in our bodies. These are nature's weapons for fighting free radicals. Oral supplements of these enzymes are available and may help at times when our bodies are not producing as much as we may need.

You can also help to strengthen your body by eating a balanced diet that includes nutrients like manganese, zinc, copper, and selenium. Your diet should also include vitamins C, E, and B2 and minerals like beta-carotene, lutein, and lycopene. Vitamin E prevents heart disease by acting against oxidation and plaque formation. Vitamin C helps protect you from cancers of the mouth, esophagus, and larynx.

Herbs like curcumin, gingko, and bilberry are also powerful weapons in the fight against free radicals. Some health experts feel these herbs are like scavengers, searching out free radicals in the body and preventing damage to cells and tissues. It is important to take these herbal supplements in the correct amount. Recently topical treatments have also been developed that help combat the external affects of these free radicals.

As you age, facial and skin problems can increase in part related to free radicals. Skin discolorations like age spots, sun spots, and freckles can become increasing unsightly. But these problems don't mean you have to look less than your best.

The makers of a new product called Lumnaderm(tm), a topical skin cream, developed it to help reduce the appearance of damage caused by free radicals. Lumnaderm(tm) is cited as a product you may want to give serious consideration in helping you restore your radiant skin and smooth out wrinkles. This product is available from fine online retailers like Amazon.com and the BODeStore.com (http://www.bodestore.com).