Part 2: Anti-aging and cosmetics

The dream of eternal youth and beauty is a timeless, age-old desire. However, men and women rarely enjoy the available means of maintaining a youthful appearance, such as wrinkle creams, injections and surgery.

Anti-aging experts recommend tried and true methods, such as eating a balanced diet, incorporating regular exercise into your daily routine, smoking cessation and using sunscreen when outdoors. Following these anti-aging tips will undoubtedly slow down the visible signs of aging and help you maintain a youthful appearance.

The most noticeable outward sign of aging is the aging of the skin, which, at some point will result in visible wrinkles. Naturally, the onset of wrinkles is troublesome to both men and women and may turn to anti-aging cosmetics, which often promise miracle cures.

The problem with anti-aging cosmetics is that the beneficial ingredients are not able to penetrate to the underlying layers of the skin, which is necessary in order to effect real change. If anti-aging cosmetics were able to penetrate deeply, they would, of course, bear the seal of pharmaceuticals and would be treated as such.

Antioxidants are one anti-aging ingredient touted by experts, which are used to eliminate free radicals that age the skin. Component of vitamin E, particularly tocotrienols, are often seen as the most beneficial antioxidants, which are able to penetrate deeper into the skin.

The key finding of many studies is that existing wrinkle creams do not ultimately bring about the disappearance of wrinkles. While they provide the skin with moisture and collagen for an enhanced, smoother appearance, this improvement is only temporary. Their glorified wrinkle reduction capabilities occur on a microscopic level, necessitating a special measuring devise for detection.

For example, smart advertising for wrinkle creams notes that the depth of wrinkles and folds can be reduced by 30%. This means that a wrinkle or fold that was once three millimeters deep can be reduced to a depth of two millimeters over time. This evidence shows, once again, that creams may be able to offer a slight improvement in appearance, but the wrinkles remain.

Here are the other parts:

Part 1: Anti Aging – yesterday and today
Part 2: Anti-aging and cosmetics
Part 3: Cosmetic Surgery as an Anti-Aging Method
Part 4: Anti-Aging Products for Men

Picture: © Christian Stoll – Fotolia.com