【Equol】

Rating: BEST
Benefits: Anti-Aging
Categories: Antioxidant, Plant Extracts

Equol is a metabolite (by-product) of the soy-derived isoflavone ingredient daidzein. It is a potent antioxidant, with comparative studies showing it has superior free radical-scavenging abilities when measured against vitamins C, E, astaxanthin and quercetin. This doesn’t mean equol is the best antioxidant, but it’s encouraging news for environmentally vulnerable skin, such as occurs with advancing age. In essence, equol helps strengthen skin so it’s better able to resist signs of aging.

One of the ways equol is believed to work so well as an antioxidant is that it plays a role in interrupting multiple steps in what researchers describe as a cascade of oxidative damage. Equol also helps skin build up its own antioxidant defense system which ordinarily weakens with age and sun damage. All of this also has a pronounced soothing effect on skin’s surface, visibly calming irritated skin.

There are two types of equol, known as R-equol and S-equol. The type of equol most often used in skin care is known as racemic equol, meaning it is an even mix of both types. This is the type of equol that has the most research supporting topical application and is considered more effective. Equol is an oil-soluble antioxidant that research has shown is highly bioavailable to skin, where it connects with specific receptor sites on skin’s surface. From here, it helps signal skin to look younger and smoother.

Effective concentrations of equol in skin care are between 0.3–0.5%. Equol is considered safe for topical use since its parent compound daidzein has a long history of safe use in foods people routinely eat, such as soy (except the oil), dairy products (from cows fed a soy-rich diet), cabbage, nuts, grapefruit, grapes/raisins, and currants. The digestive process breaks down isoflavone daidzein to form s-equol, which has wide-ranging health benefits in the body.

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