Over-the-Counter Anti Aging Skin Care Products
Dermatologists often compare the effectiveness of over-the-counter anti aging skin care products to the effectiveness of Retin-A, the only prescription anti-wrinkle cream. Until recently, there was no comparison.
Nothing worked as well as Retin-A for people who could get beyond the unwanted side effects. Those include redness, itching and irritation. Burning is yet another side effect many people experience. The burning is usually the hardest for people to deal with.
They may be able to deal with a little redness or even some itching, but burning is another issue entirely. It’s painful. The natural reaction is to want to rinse it off as quickly as possible.
No one is sure why Retin-A causes people so many problems. Of course, they aren’t sure why it works, either. Most of us believe that most of the benefits would be due to the antioxidant activity.
While Retin-A is a synthetic compound, it was derived from naturally occurring vitamin A, an antioxidant. Vitamin A is known to be important to the skin’s health and appearance, although no one knows exactly why that is the case, either.
It is known that anti aging skin care products should contain antioxidants, because they address one of the causes of cellular aging. That cause is free radical damage. Antioxidants can prevent and reverse free radical damage. They are a part of the body’s natural defense system.
The reason that Retin-A burns, causes redness, itching and irritation is understood. The synthetic form is the acidic version of vitamin A. Naturally occurring sources of vitamin A are non-acidic, although they can be toxic.
The vitamin A found in animals is toxic to humans in large amounts. It can cause illness and even death.
Most of the vitamin A in our bodies is made within our bodies through the conversion of beta-carotene. The best anti aging skin care products on the market today contain plant extracts rich in beta-carotene. The extracts provide the same benefits as Retin-A, but without the side effects.
Then there is coenzyme Q10, another antioxidant. Judging from the latest studies, it is even more effective than Retin-A. It can be used on sun-damaged skin to reverse wrinkles and other types of damage.
But, antioxidants are not the only things that we need to fight the visible signs of age. That’s why antioxidants are not the only compounds you will find in the best anti aging skin care products.
The skin’s moisture balance must be maintained in order to prevent wrinkles. Excessive dryness is one of the causes of wrinkles and sagging.
The average moisturizer contains petroleum-based oils that cannot be absorbed by the skin’s cells. The companies should not be allowed to call them moisturizers, because they are not moisturizing.
The best moisturizers are plant-based oils, nearly identical on a molecular level to those produced by the human body.
Maybe in time, dermatologists will be able to judge over-the-counter anti aging skin care products by evaluating the ingredients they contain. Luckily, you and I don’t have to wait. We can do our own evaluations.
Be sure to read our page on the best natural skin care products. It is frequently updated and contains information on our #1 recommended product line.
Topics: Anti Aging, Anti Wrinkle Creams, Natural Skin Care, Skin Care, Skin Care Ingredients, Skin Health | 1 Comment »
One Response to “Over-the-Counter Anti Aging Skin Care Products”
Comments
November 13th, 2010 at 11:46 pm
I knew nothing about Retin-A until now, thanks for the article!