Monday, March 2, 2009

Choosing The Right Wrinkle Cream

By Jen Hopkins

The prospect of choosing a wrinkle cream can be a daunting task. There are many choices at the drugstore, and even the grocery store has a large selection. You see offers for wrinkle creams that are only available online, or hear your friend talking about how much she loves the product she orders through one of those network marketing organizations. Should finding the right product for you be left to chance?

Wrinkle cream manufacturers all make similar claims about their products. It reduces fine lines, delays signs of aging, and makes you look younger, all within a relatively short period of time. Advertisersa marketing copy doesnat provide any helpful guidance.

Perhaps you could try asking around? At least with the word-of-mouth approach, you would be getting honest opinions from people who have tried the products you are interested in, as long as youare getting feedback from people you trust.

The problem is that nobody has that many friends and relatives. Combined, your acquaintances barely make a dent in the plethora of wrinkle reducing products. There is also the fact that people's skin is different, and what works wonder for your neighbor might turn out to be utterly ineffective for you.

Scientific tests have been performed on some wrinkle creams, but you only hear about them as part of a productas marketing. A manufacturer will promote a product that performs well, but thereas no way to compare it to any other product. Thereas no place to go for independent information.

Over the counter wrinkle creams are usually only tested in a before and after study, where you look for any effect of the treatment. If it were a prescription product, it would also have to be compared to a simple moisturizer to see if it delivered any additional advantage, but this is not done with most drugstore products.

Fortunately, there is some information available about most common anti-wrinkle ingredients. A type of vitamin A known as retinoids, used in some prescription products, has shown promise, and can be found in some drugstore products as well. It has been shown to be effective for many users, though it may take up to a year for the full effect to be seen. Hydroxy acids and antioxidants have also been tested, though they may not be quite as effective.

The important thing to know about wrinkle creams is that most of their effect comes from the fact that they are designed to moisturize and protect the skin. Why spend 200 dollars on a fancy product when a less expensive one may work just as well? Perhaps the best option is to try an inexpensive drugstore product to see whether it gives you the result you are hoping for. You may be pleasantly surprised to discover that drugstore creams and exclusive anti-aging products show little difference in tests that have compared them. - 15343

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