Do Anti Aging Creams Really Work?
People tend to see wrinkled skin as a sign of infirmity or ill health. In fact, skin that has begun to wrinkle is usually nothing more than part of the natural aging process. There is a certain aesthetic factor to it all, and finding wrinkles on your body can make you feel older than you actually are. If you are noticing more wrinkles, you may be looking for ways to improve your skin condition so that you don’t end up creating more wrinkles by worrying about the ones you already have.
It really shouldn’t be a cause for concern. Your skin begins to degrade by the time you reach your mid-twenties. You just don’t notice it, because the deeper skin wrinkles usually don’t appear until 5 or 10 years later. Most people have already begun to develop wrinkles in their face, hands, and joint areas by the age of 30 or so, and if you asked them if they felt old, they would undoubtedly answer your question with a hearty laugh.
What Causes Skin to Wrinkle?
There can be several reasons why a person’s skin wrinkles. Aging is the most common reason, but other factors can contribute to wrinkled skin, such as weight loss, certain genetic traits, and illness or disease. The smoothness of younger skin is due to the body’s ability to maintain the integrity of its collagen, which is the main protein of connective tissue in the human body. Skin is actually a connective tissue (referred to as dermal tissue), and the fact that it is the only external tissue found in the body is the reason it is more susceptible to wear and tear.
The body’s ability to maintain healthy collagen depends on the presence of the amino acids that are responsible for protein production in the skin cells. This chemical process is highly active in our younger years, especially when our dietary intake includes plenty of vitamin C, which is a cofactor in the production of collagen. As we get older, the synthesis of amino acids slows down, due to factors such as changes in eating habits and other biological changes that are a natural part of the aging process. A lack of moisture in the skin also contributes to wrinkling, but this is also related to cell production.
Should I Worry About Skin Wrinkles?
The answer to this question is a personal choice. Many people aren’t bothered by wrinkled skin. In fact, some people exhibit a certain pride in their wrinkles, as if wrinkled skin is evidence of wisdom and experience. This could be true, and those who don’t let wrinkled skin bother them are to be applauded for their lack of vanity. Accepting the aging process requires a certain amount of humility, as well as fortitude.
You may not agree with this particular philosophy, however. Those “laugh lines” or “worry lines” that seem to deepen more every time you look in the mirror might be causing you some concern, even if it may be cosmetic in nature. There is nothing stopping you from at least looking into what’s causing the wrinkling, and maybe taking some steps to address it. That is your own personal choice, and it’s yours to make.
What Can Be Done About Skin Wrinkles?
There are many ways to approach this. First of all, take a look at your daily food intake. Does it include enough vitamin C? Do you need to take supplements to make sure you are getting the nutrients you need for healthy skin? (By the way, although vitamin E is not related to collagen integrity, it is a beneficial nutrient for overall skin care).
Secondly, consider how you are treating your body. Do you get enough sleep? Is there too much stress in your life? Are you careful about how much sunlight you are exposed to? The first two on the list may seem superfluous, but they can affect a person’s overall health, which can affect the health of their skin as a result. The effects of ultra-violet light on skin are known to be detrimental over time, especially from over-exposure to UV rays.
Finally, ask yourself if you might be ready to try an anti aging skin care product that can help to reduce wrinkles. There are quite a few to choose from, but the best ones will usually contain natural ingredients that will aid your body’s organic processes to promote healthier skin.
Which Ingredients Are Best for Skin Wrinkles?
The best natural ingredients that are available in many skin creams are as follows: retinol, a vitamin A compound that acts as an antioxidant to promote healthy cell generation in the skin (a prescription cream that contains the vitamin A derivative known as tretinoin is also very effective); coenzyme Q10 is a nutrient that has been found to reduce wrinkling; copper peptides, which are protein fragments that contain trace elements of copper, a beneficial element for skin care; kinetin, a plant derivative that helps skin retain moisture and stimulates collagen production. These are a few of the better ingredients to look for in skin creams that address wrinkling.