Putting Your Best Face Forward

by: GeoffHopkins
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Word Count: 461

We've all heard of that mythical spring, a drink from which gives you glowing skin, glossy hair, youthfull strength and flexibility - The Fountain of Youth. If such a fountain existed, it would likely have long ago been drained and bottled.

Although the Fountain is nowhere to be found, we still seem determined to hold on to or recapture our youthful looks. Witness the wealth of products selling briskly on the market, vitamins, anti-aging creams, tonics and a host of other items. We hope that the right combination will give us back the youthful skin and glowing complexions of our youth.

It doesn't help to look at a picture taken of us in our youth. We see the soft, smooth skin and the cracks, lines, and wrinkles we see in the mirror today are not to be seen in the picture. So we look to the shelves of our grocery store, drug store, or health foods store where we find the anti-aging creams designed to do battle against our laugh lines and crow's feet.

Of course, consumers are frequently dubious of any product that makes such claims, and with good reason. What are these magic ingredients, and how do they work? Can anyone really bottle the freshness of teenaged skin? How can you tell which is the best wrinkle cream?

There are several things you can look for. Retinol, a form of vitamin A is the active ingredient in many anti-aging products. Retinol promotes the production of new surface cells as the skin absorbs vitamin A and also increases the amount of collagen in the skin. The net result is more elasticity in the skin and a reduction in the severity of wrinkles. Wrinkle creams based on retinol are often more effective than non-retinol based creams.

Reduction of wrinkles is one step towards achieving more youthful skin. Another popular active ingredient is alpha hydroxy acid - AHA. AHA is a peeling agent. It is present in a very low concentration to avoid damage to the skin, AHA removes the dead skin cells at the surface, exposing new cells beneath. The result is the adding of a glow that we associate with youthful skin.

Two products may claim to contain the above mentioned active ingredients yet do not necessarily provide the same results. The answer is often found in the degree of concentration of the active ingredients. One product may contain only a trace of retinol. A second product, containing a much higher concentration of retionol mayingedients are present.

If you're in the market for an anti-aging cream, make sure you have the facts. Now that you've asked, "Why are some wrinkle creams better than others?," you've armed yourself with the information you need to discover the Fountain of Youth for yourself!

About the Author

Geoff Hopkins has worked in the wrinkle treatment industry for years. He maintains websites about wrinkle treatment and anti wrinkle serum.  

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