Sunday, November 30, 2008

Discovering Anti-Wrinkle Creams

By Julie Samtsonn

Okay, so we're all getting older, right? Yes, right, but even though this is true, we can still look our best.

Gone are the days when people had to put up with dry skin. The market is full of anti-wrinkle remedies to help us keep our skin looking young and beautiful, no matter what your age might be.

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.

Wrinkles will be present as we age, no matter what we do but an effective anti-wrinkle cream can help to slow down and sometimes reverse the effects of skin aging. Of course you will have to consider your lifestyle as well. Try to eat properly, hydrate yourself and take proper exercise. Try to get enough sleep and avid smoking and heavy drinking. All of these factors will affect your skin's health.

There is a glut of anti-wrinkle creams and anti-aging potions on the market but it is good to know that the best ones will have ingredients like the following in them:

One of these ingredients is called retinol. It is a very effective part of anti-wrinkle cream. As well as being derived from vitamin A it is also a powerful antitoxidant. It will also help the skin to rejuvenate itself. It is a fact that a 20 year old will experience complete outer skin replacement in 28 days, however a 40 year old person will take twice as long. This means that as we age we will need to quicken up the process of skin rejuvenation. Retinol does this by dissolving the old skin layer and allowing the new skin to come.

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.

It is thought that Kinetin may help to moisturize the skin and increase collagen growth. It is relatively new and more clinical trials must be done to see the real results.

A point to remember is that price is not an indication of how well an anti-wrinkle cream performs. The best policy is to do your own research. You can do this by checking out reviews and testimonials of the product. This will help you to get a more balanced view of the anti-wrinkle cream. By this means you can save money and get a good product. - 15343

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