How To Choose A Wrinkle Treatment That Really Works
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.