Saturday, November 29, 2008

Discovering Anti-Wrinkle Creams

By Julie Samtsonn

Of course we cannot deny our age. But this is no excuse to simply give up on ourselves and let our skin make us look old.

In these enlightened times there is no reason for anyone to have dry skin. This is because there are just so many anti-wrinkle creams and potions available to us. They all claim to make our skin supple smooth and young looking even though we are technically "over the hill."

Before we talk about what makes for an effective anti-wrinkle cream, let's talk for a minute about what causes those wrinkles. As we get older, many factors contribute to the sagging skin, wrinkles, age spots and uneven tone we begin to experience. Among those factors may be poor diet, cigarette smoking, years of exposure to the sun, and simple genetics. Collagen begins to break down, skin cell turnover slows, and accumulation of something called "free radicals" begins to damage even new cells as they grow, all of which contribute to signs of aging.

You will find that your skin will naturally wrinkle as you age, regardless of what you do. However a good quality anti-wrinkle cream can help to slow the process down and even reverse some of the effects of skin aging. Bear in mind that your lifestyle will also affect skin aging. Diet and drinking enough fluids will affect your skin, as will habits like smoking, drinking and getting enough sleep.

There are many antiaging and antiwrinkle creams on the market, but those that benefit most have at least some of the following ingredients in them:

One of the best ingredients you can find in an anti-wrinkle cream is something called retinol. Retinol is a derivative of vitamin A. it's an antioxidant, so it helps neutralize free radicals. It also increases skin cell turnover. This is beneficial because when we are in our 20s, our outer layer of skin is replaced roughly every 28 days. By the time we're in our 40s, that may have increased to 42 or even more days. To help retain fresh, young skin even into our 40s, we need to speed up this replacement. Retinol does this by dissolving the outer layer of skin and revealing fresh, new skin underneath.

Alpha hydroxy acids and the newer beta and poly hydroxy acids are acids derived from fruit. These acids are exfoliants, which means it removes the outer layer of skin and encourages fresh new skin to appear from beneath. This is similar to one of retinol's functions, but hydroxy acids produce a minor "injury" to the skin that also encourages new collagen growth to occur in the skin layers themselves. One drawback to hydroxy acids is that they do make you much more photosensitive, so always wear sunscreen when you're out in the sun.

Coenzyme Q 10 is a powerful antioxidant; in fact it is one of the strongest out there. Its purpose is to neutralize free radicals. These free radicals are toxins that damage new skin cells and make your skin age faster. It is also thought that this substance will stimulate the growth of collagen.

Kinetin may help encourage collagen growth and help skin keep its moisture. This helps your skin look younger. However more research needs to be done on this substance.

It is good to remember that the price of anti-wrinkle cream does not necessary indicate the effectiveness of it. A better idea is to check out the product carefully yourself. You can see reviews and testimonials of the product and make your own judgment. You can save a ton of money and really get your money's worth. - 16650

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