In the world of health, nutrition and skincare, few topics bridge cellular biology and visible ageing as directly as oxidative stress. At the heart of this process are Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), unstable oxygen-containing molecules that can both sustain and sabotage our biology.

ROS are highly reactive oxygen-based molecules formed naturally as by-products of metabolism. They’re essential in small amounts, playing roles in energy production and cellular signalling, but when their levels surge beyond what the body can neutralise, oxidative stress occurs. This imbalance is sometimes called “cellular rusting”, a fitting metaphor for the gradual degradation that ROS can cause inside cells.

Oxidative damage is caused by Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) in a process known as Redox.

A redox reaction is one in which both reduction
(stealing electrons / gaining oxygen) and oxidation (donating electrons / losing oxygen) takes place.
Redox = Reduction + Oxidation
This is a natural part of metabolism and how we turn glucose into ATP which fuels every cellular process.
An imbalance of redox reactions leads to the formation of free radicals and Reactive Oxidative Species which cause damage at the cellular level.

While oxidative stress has systemic implications, from cardiovascular health to cancer risk, its effects are particularly visible in the skin. ROS attack structural proteins like collagen, elastin and hyaluronic acid by activating enzymes known as Matrix Metalloproteinases (MMPs). These enzymes, collagenase, elastinase and hyaluronidase, break down the very components that keep skin firm, elastic and hydrated.

Compounding this, ROS trigger the protein AP-1, which inhibits new collagen synthesis, accelerating the visible signs of ageing such as wrinkles, sagging and loss of tone. On a deeper level, oxidative stress contributes to inflammation and telomere shortening, processes central to both intrinsic ageing and inflammatory skin conditions.