Exposure to solar radiation, other environmental insults, and inflammation all produce reactive oxygen species and free radicals in skin. This imbalance of the redox state is the root cause of many pathological diseases, includ ing skin cancer. That is why, for more than three decades now, researchers have diligently continued to explore the use of antioxidants to mitigate the damage caused by reactive oxygen and free radical species. It is now a well-known fact that treatment of skin with antioxidants is a clinically efficacious way to combat the perils of free radical-induced skin damage. Early research exploited the benefits of common antioxidants, such as vitamins E and C, to prevent photoaging, photoimmunosuppression, and photocarcinogenesis of skin. Accordingly, most skin preparations launched in the marketplace during that period contained these and other small molecule anti oxidants, such as butylated hydroxytoluene or butylated hydroxyanisole. More recently, research on the protective benefits of botanical extracts containing powerful phy toantioxidants shed light on the advantages of this class of compounds in combating free radical damage in skin. As a result, phytoantioxidants are now much more preva lent in today’s modern skin care preparations. One need only look at the extensive list of botanicals on skin cream ingredient labels currently on store shelves to see that this is true.