Anti Wrinkle Face Creams

Aging is the natural but a painful phase in human life, characterized by loss of beauty and vigor. So mankind has been constantly in search of miraculous products that can stop this aging process and restore the beauty and vitality of youth. Anti wrinkle or anti aging creams can be termed as the result of this unending quest of mankind. They are especially designed to counteract the effects of aging on our skin. Today, these anti wrinkle face creams can be said to have flooded the entire market of cosmetics and skin care products. But can they really erase all those fine lines and wrinkles of aging, is the common query regarding these anti wrinkle skin care products. The answer to this question depends on several factors that determine the efficacy of these creams. Before discussing this issue, let's throw some light on what causes wrinkles and fine lines.

Causes of Wrinkles and Fine Lines
Fine lines and wrinkles are the result of the natural process of aging and they are unavoidable. They can be delayed by taking adequate skin care. With growing age, our skin loses its natural moisture and elasticity. Collagen is an important constituent of our skin and it plays a vital role in maintaining skin elasticity. But, as we grow older, collagen production slows down and as a result, skin starts to lose its elasticity. Generally, the dead cells of our skin are continuously replaced by newly produced cells, and this how our skin rejuvenates itself. But, the production of new skin cells reduces significantly with growing age. Besides these, our skin also loses its firmness, mainly because of loss of the underlying fats. Along with these internal factors, several external factors like excessive exposure to sunlight and free radicals can also damage the skin and accelerate the development of wrinkles and fine lines.

How Do Anti Wrinkle Face Creams Work?
Anti wrinkle face creams basically contain some active ingredients that can replenish the skin and restore its lost moisture and elasticity. Many of these products contain vitamin A or retinol that can protect the skin from the damaging effects of free radicals. Free radicals are high energy particles that can oxidize and damage the cells and tissues of the body. This in turn can speed up the aging process, leading to the appearance of premature wrinkles and fine lines. But retinol or vitamin A is a powerful antioxidant that can inhibit the oxidization of the skin cells by free radicals.

Like vitamin A, vitamin C and vitamin E are also antioxidants and many anti aging skin care products contain these two vitamins. Apart from protecting from free radicals, these vitamins have been found to be effective in reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, thereby making the skin soft, smooth and supple. Vitamin C can repair damaged skin by promoting collagen formation. It can also protect the skin from the damaging sunrays. Similarly, vitamin E can also make the skin smoother and softer by neutralizing the harmful free radicals.

Hydroxy acids are also an important ingredient in many skin care products, including anti wrinkle face creams. These are mainly obtained from fruits and dairy products. Skin care products usually contain three types of hydroxy acids, namely, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) and polyhydroxy acids (PHAs). These hydroxy acids are actually exfoliates that can peel off the dead skin cells and at the same time stimulate the generation of new cells. They can also promote the collagen production to maintain skin elasticity. They can be quite effective in treating skin pigmentation.

Some other important ingredients of anti wrinkle face creams are copper peptides, kinetin, tea extract and alpha-lipoic acid (ALA). Copper peptides promote collagen formation, while kinetin can reduce wrinkles and skin pigmentation. On the other hand, tea extract is included in most of the anti wrinkle face creams for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Alpha-lipoic acid can improve skin tone and firmness by mildly exfoliating the dead skin cells. It is also a strong natural antioxidant.

So, anti wrinkle face creams combine a number of ingredients to slow down skin aging. The efficacy of various products mainly depends on these ingredients. However, it should be kept in mind that no product can reverse the process of aging, they can at the most, delay the process. Therefore, the best anti wrinkle face creams are those that help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles without serious side effects like skin irritation and rashes. However, it is important to choose the right type of product suitable for your skin type for proper wrinkle free skin care. Equally important is to drink plenty of water and consume a healthy and nutritious diet with lots of fruits and green vegetables.