Antioxidants protect an individual from free radicals - cells that break down other cells in the body.Think of free radicals as aggressive oxygen molecules whose intent is to destroy cells.Free radicals are sometimes a natural part of the body's life cycle, but other times, they are caused by external elements like pollution or medication.Generally, the body has a good balance of free radicals and antioxidants, but in the case of aging and even some diseases, the free radicals outnumber the antioxidants. Free radicals work in the same way that oxygen works in high school chemistry.For example, iron begins to rust and rubber begins to loose its bounce because of oxygen, just as the body begins to age partly because of free radicals.In order to protect against an excess of free radicals, an individual can consume or apply antioxidants.Until recently, scientists thought that skin could not absorb vitamins; instead, absorption could only occur within the body.That belief, however, has changed, and now there are both topical and internal methods to use antioxidants