Healthy living

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.

Although skin on the face will without question wrinkle to some extent as we get older, we can help reverse some of those effects of aging with a good antiwrinkle cream. Of course, we also have to make good choices with diet, exercise, and proper hydration, as well as avoiding smoking and getting enough sleep if we want to look younger.

The market is full of anti-wrinkle creams and anti-aging remedies but the really good ones will have a few of the following ingredients:

Retinol is an effective substance found in anti-wrinkle creams. It is an antitoxidant and a by-product of vitamin A. It helps to increase skin cell generation and eliminate free radicals. A 20 year old skin will be replaced in about 28 days but a 40 year old skin can take up to 42 days and more to be replaced. This means that as we get older this process of skin replacement needs to go at a faster rate. Retinol dissolves the old outer skin and allows the new skin to emerge.

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.

Keep in mind as well that when you’re looking for the most effective anti-wrinkle cream possible, don’t look at price tag. Price really has very little to do with how effective an antiwrinkle cream is. Instead, do your own research, look for reviews of products online, and choose based upon what others say about a particular cream’s effectiveness. This will not only save you some money, but will give you an effective antiwrinkle cream you can be happy with.