We've rounded up nearly everything you need to know about CoQ10 including what this special vitamin is and the CoQ10 benefits for skin.
What is CoQ10?
The first thing we need to understand is that a coenzyme is an important particle that's found in skin surface lipids and all cells in the body, which helps other enzymes function efficiently.
Coenzyme Q10, more often referred to as CoQ10, is a powerful antioxidant that our bodies depend on. CoQ10 is highly present in all our cells when we are young, but it can decrease as we grow older. Various factors including aging and stress can cause the production of CoQ10 to slow down and it's this decline that is regarded as one of the most accurate biomarkers of aging.
What are the CoQ10 benefits for skin?
CoQ10's main purpose is to neutralize free radicals. A by-product of the energy-production process within cells, free radicals are unpaired electrons that try to connect to other electrons, and in the process can damage important cells in our body, and in effect contribute to skin aging.
CoQ10 helps make energy for your skin cells, which makes your skin cells work more efficiently better and look younger. As our levels of CoQ10 are depleted with age they are less able to control free radicals and the body is less able to produce collagen and elastin, which in turn can lead to wrinkled, sallow, and less firm skin. An increase in CoQ10 can help with the production of both, as well as stimulate cell activity in general.
With its antioxidant properties, active skin cells can also rid themselves of toxins more efficiently and make the best use of nutrients, resulting in healthier looking skin which shows on the outside.
+ Learn more about what happens to your cells as we age
What happens to your skin when you increase CoQ10?
Increasing CoQ10 levels internally can make a real difference and can enhance skin appearance. This can have an energizing, protecting, stimulating and rejuvenating effect on the skin, and in turn, can make our skin look younger.
Additionally, CoQ10 plays a significant role in helping to support our cells and mitochondria from internal and external free radical associated cell damage. As CoQ10 is present in our cells and mitochondria already, supporting healthy skin is as easy as keeping the levels of it up.