“TL;DR: Oxidative damage significantly contributes to cellulite, alongside fibrosis, skin laxity, glycation, poor microcirculation, inflammation, and fat accumulation. It occurs when reactive oxygen species (ROS), like superoxide and hydrogen peroxide, damage cells, also linked to cancer, Alzheimer’s, heart disease, and ageing. Excessive ROS and weak antioxidant defences harm DNA, mitochondrial, and cell membranes, causing inflammation, tissue ageing, and poor cell health. In cellulite, this leads to impaired circulation, water retention, skin laxity, fibrosis, and fat tissue inflammation, while promoting glycation—all key cellulite factors. Oxidative stress arises from smoking, alcohol, pollution, unhealthy diets (fried foods, seed oils, sugar, ultra-processed foods, excessive calories), inactivity, or over-exercise. Antioxidants like vitamins C and E, polyphenols, and carotenoids, found in berries, citrus, vegetables, and spices, combat this. Key antioxidants, including quercetin, resveratrol, EGCG, and curcumin, help reduce cellulite and skin ageing. Available in foods, supplements, and some anti-cellulite creams, their efficacy depends on purity, concentration, and quantity, particularly in skincare, where low doses are often ineffective.”
Cellulite and oxidative stress: what is the connection?
Free radical damage and cellulite
How can oxidative stress lead to cellulite
What causes free radical damage / oxidative stress?
How to minimise oxidative stress on the skin with antioxidants
The most important antioxidants against cellulite and skin ageing
Is the enzyme superoxide dismutase good for cellulite? Which foods contain the SOD enzyme?
Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment with London’s cellulite experts
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
The Cellulite School™: Get advanced training in cellulite reduction and skin tightening
Free radical damage and cellulite
Oxidative damage is an important aspect of cellulite, with the other six being fibrosis, skin laxity, glycation, poor microcirculation/water retention, inflammation and superficial fat accumulation.
Oxidative damage or free radical damage refers to cell damage by ‘reactive oxygen species’ (ROS) / free radicals, such as OO- (superoxide radical), -OH (hydroxyl radical) and H2O2 (hydrogen peroxide).
Free radical damage has also been implicated in attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, cancer, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, heart disease, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and many other conditions, as well as ageing in general.
How can oxidative stress lead to cellulite
Excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reduced antioxidant defences in the body can lead to the damage of DNA, mitochondrial membranes and cell membranes, ultimately causing poor cell health, inflammation, tissue damage and overall ageing and dysfunction.
In blood and lymph vessels, oxidative damage manifests as poor circulation and water retention. In connective tissues, oxidative stress results in skin laxity or fibrosis. In fat tissue, free radical damage means inflammation. Furthermore, oxidative damage can also lead to glycation.
As mentioned above, fibrosis, skin laxity, glycation, water retention and inflammation are all important aspects of what we call cellulite, together with THE most important factor, fat accumulation.
As oxidative damage is such an important cause of cellulite, it is no wonder that many anti-cellulite skincare products contain antioxidants (unfortunately in insignificant amounts, in most cases).
What causes free radical damage / oxidative stress?
Some oxidative stress is absolutely fine and even necessary but too much of it does cause cell damage.
Smoking, alcohol consumption, air pollution, unhealthy eating, lack of exercise (or too much exercise) all contribute to oxidative stress.
Food wise these types of foods are all known to cause oxidative stress:
Fried food
Hydrogenated fats
Seed oils
Sugar
Ultra-processed foods
Excessive calories, even of healthy foods
How to minimise oxidative stress on the skin with antioxidants
In addition to not doing/consuming the above things that cause free radical damage you can fight oxidative stress/damage with antioxidants, such as vitamins C (water soluble antioxidant) and E (fat soluble antioxidant) and micronutrients, such as polyphenols and carotenoids.
Foods rich in these vitamins and phytonutrients are fruits (especially berries and citrus), vegetables, herbs and spices.
The same antioxidants can also be found in nutritional supplements and in some skincare / anti-cellulite creams.
The most important antioxidants against cellulite and skin ageing
The most well-known antioxidants are:
Quercetin, hesperidin, rutin from citrus fruits
Superoxide dismutase from green vegetables and herbs
Resveratrol and pterostilbene from berries and pomegranates
EGCG from green tea
Cocoa flavanols from cacao
Chlorogenic acid from green coffee
Oleuropein from olive leaf
Ellagic acid from pomegranates
Sulphoraphane from broccoli sprouts
Oligomeric proanthocyanidins from grape seeds
Curcumin from turmeric
Lycopene from tomatoes and watermelons
Astaxanthin from salmon and crustaceans
Anthocyanins and anthocyanidins from berries
Antioxidant molecule purity, concentration and quantity are important factors in supplementation but especially so in skincare. Small amounts will do nothing (especially so in skincare) while too high amounts may be excessive (especially so in supplements).
Is the enzyme superoxide dismutase good for cellulite? Which foods contain the SOD enzyme?
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant enzyme that neutralises superoxide radicals, a type of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contributing to oxidative stress, which is a key factor in cellulite development.
Oxidative stress damages blood vessels, connective tissues, and fat cells, leading to poor circulation, water retention, skin laxity, fibrosis, inflammation, and glycation—all hallmarks of cellulite. As mentioned above, by reducing ROS, SOD may help mitigate these effects, potentially improving skin health and reducing cellulite severity.
Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is an antioxidant enzyme found in many foods, particularly plant-based ones, but it’s not absorbed directly from food due to digestion breaking down the enzyme.
Instead, foods rich in SOD or its cofactors—copper, zinc, manganese, and iron—support the body’s own SOD production:
Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts are high in SOD and provide copper, zinc, and manganese.
Other sources include peas, spinach, and young sprouted wheat, which is particularly rich in SOD enzymes.
Cantaloupe contains SOD, though its low stomach pH inactivates the enzyme unless encapsulated.
Barley grass and rye bread (made from 70% extraction flour) also have notable SOD activity.
Consuming foods high in zinc, manganese and copper, like broccoli, spinach, peas, oysters, chickpeas, hazelnuts etc, helps enhance the body’s ability to produce SOD, supporting antioxidant defences
Some anti-cellulite creams include SOD, but their effectiveness is limited by low concentrations and poor skin penetration. Some studies confirm stabilised SOD supplement efficacy for cellulite, but more research is needed.
Combining SOD-supporting foods with a healthy diet, exercise, intensive cellulite treatments and concentrated cellulite creams will maximise results by addressing multiple factors beyond oxidative stress alone.
Lifestyle, Oxidative Stress, and Antioxidants: Back and Forth in the Pathophysiology of Chronic Diseases
Research paper link: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7347016
Abstract: Oxidative stress plays an essential role in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer. Long term exposure to increased levels of pro-oxidant factors can cause structural defects at a mitochondrial DNA level, as well as functional alteration of several enzymes and cellular structures leading to aberrations in gene expression. The modern lifestyle associated with processed food, exposure to a wide range of chemicals and lack of exercise plays an important role in oxidative stress induction. However, the use of medicinal plants with antioxidant properties has been exploited for their ability to treat or prevent several human pathologies in which oxidative stress seems to be one of the causes. In this review we discuss the diseases in which oxidative stress is one of the triggers and the plant-derived antioxidant compounds with their mechanisms of antioxidant defenses that can help in the prevention of these diseases. Finally, both the beneficial and detrimental effects of antioxidant molecules that are used to reduce oxidative stress in several human conditions are discussed.
Have a skin tightening/cellulite treatment in London with the experts
At LipoTherapeia we have specialised 100% in skin tightening and cellulite reduction for more than two decades and 20,000+ sessions.
This is all we study and practise every day and have researched and tried hands-on all the important skin tightening equipment and their manufacturers.
As strong, deep acting radiofrequency and deep-acting, high-power ultrasound cavitation are the technologies of choice for skin tightening and cellulite reduction, we have invested in the best RF/ultrasound technologies in the world.
Furthermore, over the last two decades we have developed advanced RF and cavitation treatment protocols in order to make the most of our technologies, for maximum results, naturally and safely.
And for even better, faster results, we now combine our RF/ultrasound treatments with high-power red/infrared light LED treatment.
Our radiofrequency/ultrasound/LED treatments are comfortable, pain-free, downtime-free, injection-free, 99.5%+ safe and always non-invasive.
(No unsafe and ineffective RF microneedling or HIFU and no safe but ineffective acoustic wave therapy, superficial RF (bipolar/tripolar/multipolar etc), low power RF/cavitation, electrical muscle stimulation, lymphatic massage, cupping, dry brushing and no ridiculous bum bum creams.)
Our focus is on honest, realistic, science-based treatment, combined with caring, professional service, with a smile.
We will be pleased to see you, assess your cellulite, skin laxity or fibrosis, listen to your story, discuss your case and offer you the best possible treatment.
Advanced, infrared / blue / red light therapy treatments in London at LipoTherapeia
At LipoTherapeia we are passionate about phototherapy (also known as photobiomodulation/PBM, red light therapy, infrared light therapy, blue light therapy, LED light therapy etc) and we use the most powerful equipment available today (up to 200mW/cm2), for best results and treatment of large body areas.
We use specialised therapy protocols for skin rejuvenation / anti-ageing, pigmentation / post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH), moderate/severe acne, skin redness, sensitive/inflamed/irritated skin, wound healing, sports injuries / musculoskeletal pain and overall wellness / well-being.
Our LED phototherapy sessions are comfortable, deeply relaxing and super-safe and are great to enhance our radiofrequency/ultrasound treatments for skin tightening / cellulite reduction.
On our booking page you can book stand-alone phototherapy sessions or combine them with our other treatments, as an add-on.
Learn more or check prices and book an expert LED phototherapy treatment at our London clinic.
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