It’s hard to escape anti-wrinkle skin creams. They appear often on commercials and if you go into the supermarket or drugstore, you’ll find them filling the facial product shelves. The Mayo Clinic advises that over-the-counter anti-wrinkle skin creams won’t give you a face lift, but there are products and ingredients available that work with appropriate use. There are many creams that don’t contain proven ingredients, however, so it’s important to familiarize yourself with the active ingredients in effective anti-wrinkle creams.
Sunscreen
Protecting your skin from the damaging rays of the sun is the best way to prevent wrinkles. When looking at facial moisturizers or other skin creams, look for those with the highest Sun Protection Factor, or SPF, available. If you are going to be out in the sun for any length of time, protect yourself with the appropriate level of sunscreen to prevent burning and overexposure, which cause long-term premature aging.
Antioxidants
Select creams that contain antioxidants, as they fight unstable compounds that can damage skin cells, otherwise known as free radicals. Damaged or dead skin cells can cause premature aging, including wrinkles. Many of the treatments dermatologists perform to generate younger-looking skin promote the sloughing off of damaged and dead skin cells. Retinal, a vitamin A compound, is the most well-known antioxidant available on the market in anti-wrinkle skin creams, and is the over-the-counter version of tretinoin, a stronger medication that requires a prescription. The Mayo Clinic warns that pregnant women should not use these antioxidants.
Hydroxy Acids
Hydroxy acids come in the form of alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids. They exfoliate the top layer of dead skin and promote the growth of new, smoother, younger looking skin underneath. You can find these acids in a variety of skin creams, including chemical peels available both over-the-counter and in strengths to be administered by a dermatologist. Hydroxy acids can make your skin even more susceptible to the sun’s rays, so sunscreen is even more critical following a treatment using this ingredient.
Green Tea Extract
Green tea extract is an all-natural ingredient alternative for anti-wrinkle skin creams. The polyphenols found in green tea help to treat the skin in the same manner as antioxidants. Applied topically, green tea extract can reduce sun damage that causes wrinkles, and its anti-inflammatory properties can slow signs of aging, including sagging of the skin.
From Beauty Supplies, post Anti-Wrinkle Skin Creams
