Woman World Web

July 31st, 2008 by Geoff Hopkins

The Fountain of Youth. We’ve all heard of it, the spring that a drink from which grants an eternally youthful body. It is a legend we all at one time or another wish existed. If it did one can only imagine how long it would be before it were completely drained.

Who wouldn’t want to recapture their youth - or at least preserve it as long as possible? There is a wide variety of products, from wrinkle creams to vitamins, designed to do just that. The brisk sales of these anti-aging products demonstrate that, indeed, many women (and men!) intend to keep their skin looking as youthful as it can, well into middle age.

One of the hallmarks of youth is soft, smooth, moisturized skin that is free of laugh lines and creases. Since wrinkles have come to be viewed as one of the “dead giveaways” of a person’s age, manufacturers have developed many varieties of anti-aging moisturizers to launch an all-out attack on encroaching 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.

So, why are some wrinkle creams better than the others? The answer is most likely found in the concentration of the active ingredients. A cream might claim to contain retinol, but it could be present in such a small amount that it would be ineffective. On the other hand, a cream with a higher percentage of retinol might well be very capable of refreshing and plumping the skin for that dewy, youthful look.

It never hurts to ask the question “Why are some products better than others? or “Which wrinkle creams would be most effective?” Asking the question leads to getting the facts you need to make a choice, second best to the “Fountain of Youth” but a good choice nevertheless.