If you’re looking for ways to boost the health and youthfulness of your skin, there’s a little-known ingredient you may be overlooking. Coenzyme Q10 is an antioxidant that’s naturally produced in the human body. However, as you age, you begin producing less of this important antioxidant and may need to get it from external products.
CoQ10 serum is an exceptional product for skin health. Here’s what you should know about this product and how you can incorporate it into your skincare regimen.
What Is CoQ10 Used For?
CoQ10 helps smooth and moisturize the skin, which is why you can find it in many skincare products. It helps the body boost its own production of collagen and elastin, which are both important for maintaining a youthful appearance. The human body naturally produces less collagen and elastin as it ages. As a result, the skin becomes more saggy and papery in appearance and texture.
While wrinkle development is a natural part of aging, there are things you can do to keep it at bay. Using skincare products with CoQ10 can help you maintain your youthful, smooth skin for as long as possible. You’ll find coenzyme Q10 in everything from creams to serums. In addition to using it externally, you can also find CoQ10 dietary supplements that will boost your skin and overall health from the inside out.
Ingredients
For optimal results when using coenzyme Q10 products, look for products that contain other beneficial skincare ingredients. A few examples of ingredients that complement CoQ10 include:
- Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil: Jojoba seed oil is a multi-tasker that works beautifully alongside CoQ10. It is well-loved for its ability to moisturize and soften the skin without clogging pores. What also makes it great for the skin is its anti-inflammatory properties. This means it helps keep the skin calm and comfortable, and can be beneficial for those with inflammatory skin conditions (like eczema and rosacea). It’s also a natural source of vitamin E, which is an antioxidant.
- Camellia sinensis (green tea) leaf extract:Antioxidant-rich green tea leaf extract is the perfect ingredient to pair with CoQ10, as it further helps protect the complexion against harmful free radicals for healthy, strong skin. It’s also a powerful anti-inflammatory that helps soothe the complexion for optimal comfort.
- Glycyrrhiza glabra (licorice) root extract:Licorice root is an especially great ingredient for anyone looking to lighten dark spots and brighten the overall complexion. It inhibits the enzyme that creates pigment in the skin, working to reverse and prevent uneven skin tone. Like the other ingredients mentioned above, this natural extract also has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for protecting and soothing the skin.
- Tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E):Another one of our favorite ingredients to partner with CoQ10 is vitamin E. The highly effective antioxidant defends against free radical damage for healthy and radiant skin. It may also speed up the skin healing process, and can support overall barrier health.
Like CoQ10, these ingredients also help to nourish the skin and support an even skin tone. You’ll find all of these helpful ingredients and more in CoQ10 Boost Serum from Small Batch Serums.
Top Benefits of Coenzyme Q10
CoQ10 is an exceptional skincare ingredient because it boosts the health and appearance of the skin in multiple ways. Here are some of the top benefits you’ll receive if you regularly use CoQ10 in your skincare routine.
1. More Even Skin Tone
If you’re dealing with sun damage, post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or other forms of discoloration that you’d like to address, CoQ10 can help. This ingredient blocks the effects of tyrosinase, an enzyme that plays a key role in the production of melanin – which is responsible for skin pigment. This means it helps both minimize and prevent pigmentation, helping you achieve a more even skin tone.
Since CoQ10 is gentle on the skin and layers well with virtually all other skincare ingredients, you can easily use it alongside other brightening products to maximize the skin tone-enhancing power of your routine. In addition to CoQ10, some of our favorite ingredients for promoting a more even skin tone include vitamin C, retinoids, kojic acid, alpha hydroxy acids, and licorice root extract.
2. Reduction in Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Anyone looking to smooth out pesky fine lines and wrinkles (or prevent them from forming in the first place) will benefit from adding CoQ10 to their skincare routine.
When applied topically, CoQ10 stimulates the production of collagen and elastin. These proteins are responsible for maintaining our skin’s structure and helping our complexion look youthful. However, the levels of these proteins gradually deplete as we get older – which is part of the reason why fine lines and wrinkles start to form.
By enhancing the skin’s natural collagen and elastin production, CoQ10 is able to soften the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. While nothing can completely stop the aging process or turn back time, by boosting collagen and elastin levels, it can also work to slow down the formation of future fine lines and wrinkles.
3. Firmer and More Elastic Skin
Beyond working to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, CoQ10 is able to promote an overall more youthful complexion. By stimulating the production of structural proteins, CoQ10 targets sagging by promoting a firmer complexion. It also enhances elasticity, resulting in more youthful skin. Ultimately, CoQ10 is a powerhouse ingredient that belongs in everyone’s anti-aging skincare routine.
4. Protection Against Free Radicals
Everyone can benefit from adding antioxidants to their skincare routine, and CoQ10 is the best of the best. As an antioxidant, CoQ10 acts as a powerful shield to defend the skin against the harmful effects of free radicals from environmental aggressors like air pollution, smoke, and UV radiation.
Exposure to free radicals can lead to a range of visible changes in the complexion. They can contribute to a loss of elasticity and firmness, fine lines and wrinkles, discoloration, textural issues, and overall dullness. By protecting the skin against free radicals, CoQ10 helps with the maintenance of a youthful, radiant, and even-toned complexion.
5. Enhanced Skin Cell Health
CoQ10 gets to the root of overall skin health by targeting skin cells. The ingredient replenishes and nourishes these cells (which slow down and become less efficient as we get older), ensuring they are best equipped to repair damage and properly care for the skin. Ultimately, this leads to healthier, younger-looking, and better-functioning skin.
In addition to these benefits, CoQ10 supports your skin’s overall health by combatting free radicals that cause wrinkles and other types of skin damage. It also helps to replenish skin cells, which means it makes your skin cells more healthy and energized. These benefits can yield a bright, dewy complexion that will have others asking you what your secret is. It’s little wonder that CoQ10 is getting more popular as its benefits become more well-known!
6. Reduced Sun Damage
Coenzyme Q10 is a powerful solution against the key signs of sun damage, which includes age spots and uneven skin tone, fine lines, wrinkles, loss of elasticity, and sagging. As highlighted above, this is all thanks to its ability to improve collagen and elastin levels and inhibit melanin production. This all leads to a youthful complexion and more even skin tone.
Even better, CoQ10 not only helps reverse these visible signs of sun damage, but also works to slow their formation (or even stop them from manifesting in the first place) by providing defense against UV rays from the sun. Of course, continuing to wear sunscreen daily is essential for optimally protecting your skin against the harmful effects of the sun. However, regular application of a CoQ10 serum will add an extra layer of protection to shield your skin against sun damage (as well as harm from other environmental aggressors).
7. Energized Cell Activity
In the body, CoQ10 plays an important role in energy production in the cells. So how does this translate in skincare? By energizing skin cells, this enzyme helps to ensure they are functioning well and best able to use the resources available. This in turn helps support damage repair and cell regeneration, which is essential for healthy and happy skin. Since our natural production of CoQ10 decreases as we get older, using it in our skincare routine is a great way to fill that gap and make sure the skin cells are getting the support they need to help the skin look its best and function optimally.
How to Incorporate CoQ10 Into Your Skincare Routine
CoQ10 is pretty safe to combine with other ingredients, so you don’t need to worry about weird interactions when incorporating it into your skincare routine. It is important to note that people with vitiligo may need to be careful when using topical CoQ10 products. This is because CoQ10 may block tyrosinase, which is an enzyme that helps create pigment. Those with vitiligo may experience a worsening of symptoms when using topical CoQ10 products.
But for most people, CoQ10 is not only harmless, but beneficial as well. Many people apply CoQ10 facial serum after cleansing and before applying moisturizer. Massage a few drops of your preferred CoQ10 serum gently onto your face and neck. For best results, use the product both morning and night. During the day, coenzyme Q10 helps boost your skin’s defenses by providing it with antioxidants that fight off free radicals. At night, coenzyme Q10 nourishes the skin and helps replenish it while you rest.
If you’ve noticed wrinkles and other signs of aging in your skin, it’s time to slow down the process with a quality CoQ10 serum. Incorporate this product into your skincare routine right away to start experiencing the benefits as soon as possible.