How To Choose A Wrinkle Treatment That Really Works
Catherine Olivia
It happens to most of us as we enter our mid-30's and early 40's. We look into the mirror one day and see a face we don't recognize. Sure we noticed those crow's feet in our mid to late-20's, but when did those few crow's feet become a face full of wrinkles? To make it worse, we live in a society where youth is worshipped. Instead of being proud of our graying hair and wrinkles and the wisdom that comes with them we start searching for the fountain of youth.
When we are young our skin contains a wonderful protein called elastin. This is what keeps the skin firm. We also have robust amounts of a protein called collagen which strenghtens our skin. Over time, with aging and with outside influences such as sun exposure and smoking the elastin in our skin actually degenerates. Collagen production slows. This causes the skin to get thinner and impedes moisture entering the skin.
With hundreds of different wrinkle creams available on the market today, and some that cost literally thousands of dollars how do you choose? Some of these high priced products tout that it takes them months to prepare one batch of their wrinkle cream, so it's only available in very limited quantities. Does this appearance of "exclusivity" mean a product will work? Does high cost guarantee results? Unfortunately, the answer is no.
There are as many different ways for a product to work as there are products. Some of these products produce the immediate effect of reducing fine lines and wrinkles through the use of light. By putting the product on your face you actually deceive the eye by preventing the eye from seeing the shadows that form from wrinkles, hence the skin appears smoother. Some of these products contain hyaluronic acid which is a substance that helps to hydrate the skin by holding in water which helps to make the skin appear plumper. Some new anti wrinkle creams are like botox in a bottle. They use ingredients that help to relax facial muscle contractions.
How do you choose? The first rule of thumb is to stick with well known and established products. Get whatever samples you can. Some creams are very heavy and not suitable for use in hot and humid weather and you might not like the feel of them on your skin. Ask if you can use the product for 30 days with a money back guarantee if you don't see results. Don't believe the claim that you have to use a company's entire product line to see any results. Most companies have made a fortune with "add-on" products like cleansers, toners, and serums. The moisturizer and the serum are usually the highest priced products. Buy only the moisturizer. You will get the best bang for your buck from the moisturizer as it is used over the entire face as opposed to the serum, which is generally only used on trouble spots such the area around the eyes and lips. If you find you like the moisturizer then try the cleanser, and so on. Read up on the product. There is a wealth of information on line and many sites such as consumerhealthdigest.com have already done a lot of the work for you by evaluating many wrinkle creams to see if they live up to their claims.
Ultimately, the best thing that you can do is take care of your skin from the inside out. We're all stuck with whatever genetics we have but you can help yourself by not smoking, drinking lots of water and eating a healthy diet. Avoid the sun at all costs and use a moisturizer or foundation with SPF protection every day. Have a monthly hydrating facial. After your first several facials you'll definitely notice an improvement in the appearance of your skin, no matter what wrinkle cream you use.
About the author:
Article courtesy of http://www.better-skin.net