Which Wrinkle Creams Really Work?
As most women know, wrinkles and other signs of aging such as discoloration, lines and puffiness, can be almost impossible to prevent and hard to treat effectively. While everyone ages at different rates, lifestyle and the environment play a big part in the severity of the damage and how early it appears. Exposure to the sun, smog and smoking will all contribute to lines and wrinkles showing on the skin and while this is an inevitable part of daily life, more and more cosmetic companies are addressing these issues and developing advanced anti-aging products.
Can I Prevent Wrinkles From Appearing?
Fortunately there are steps that can be taken to prevent or at least delay the onset on aging skin and most skin care specialists believe that the sun is probably the #1 enemy. Dr Elizabeth Goldberg, a medical doctor and director of New York City’s Urban Dermatology agrees, saying, ‘The best preventative step is sunscreen, sunscreen, and sunscreen, or sun avoidance. Wear a hat or stay under an umbrella, do outdoor activities before 10am or after 4pm in the summer months. Antioxidants will also help to protect the skin throughout the day when applied in the morning.’
Of course, in addition to avoiding the outside elements, treating the body well from within can be just as vital. Toxins such as alcohol and cigarettes will both cause the skin to dry out and age prematurely as will drinking too much caffeine, a powerful diuretic. Ensuring the skin is well-hydrated by drinking plenty of water is essential, while feeding it with nutrient rich fresh, unprocessed food will nourish and protect it.
When Should I Start Using Wrinkle Creams?
Because each person ages at a different rate, there is really no set time to begin skin care, although as we’ve seen, sun avoidance should start early on. It is up to the individual to assess the damage and severity of their wrinkles, which will be largely determined on lifestyle rather than age. ‘There is not a specific age one should start to use a wrinkle cream’, continues Dr. Goldberg. ‘Depending on genes and environmental exposures throughout one’s life, they will be more or less likely to develop wrinkles at any earlier age. Generally you don’t want to wait until the wrinkles are obvious; at that point they are likely to not respond that well to creams. The best time to start is when you notice wrinkles with movement that resolve after long periods of inactivity (i.e. sleep). However if you hit 40 and haven’t started, it’s probably a good time to start’.
With the slew of anti-aging products available on the market, it can be difficult to find the formula that is just right, although there are a few ingredients that are key and, according to Dr. Goldberg, will target the worst of the damage. She says, ‘When shopping, you can find many great products at reasonable prices. Look for retinol-based products, amino-peptides, which will penetrate the skin, and antioxidants such as Vitamin C and E, coffeeberry, and green tea. When it comes to sunscreens look for physical blockers such as titanium and zinc’.
What Features Should I Look For in a Wrinkle Cream?
Recent developments in the skin care industry have shown that two other ingredients are proving successful in the anti-aging fight – Syn-ake and Skin Stem Cell serum. Syn-ake is a tripeptide that actually mimics the effect of snake venom, ‘paralyzing’ the facial muscles and reducing the frequency of contractions, much like the injected treatments Botox and Argireline. Argireline is also sometimes added to topical anti-aging creams where it effectively and safely mimics the muscle-relaxing action of Botox. Argireline (Acetyl Hexapeptide),significantly reduces the depth of wrinkles when applied on a daily basis. Skin Stem is derived, as the name suggests, from plant stem cells and is thought to stimulate cell renewal, protect existing healthy cells and reverse skin damage.
Another commonly-used cell-stimulant is a substance that combines Palmitoyl Oligopeptide and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide, usually found under its patented name Matrixyl 3000. In addition to aiding in the repair of aging tissue, Matrixyl 3000 supports the skin’s ‘framework’, making it stronger and more elastic. However, no anti-aging product would be complete without using Hyaluronic Acid (HA), a substance that is vital in attracting and retaining moisture in the skin, effectively ‘plumping’ it out from within. HA has the ability to hold more than 1000 times its weight in water and because it is such an essential lubricant, it is often also included in joint pain products. Adding moisture to aging, dehydrated skin will have a rejuvenating effect, making the skin appear healthy and youthful.
Wrinkle creams are more potent than ever working harder to prevent and reverse the signs of aging on the skin. New anti-wrinkle formulations seem to pop up almost everyday giving women a dizzying array of choices that leave most people scratching their head. However, choosing a wrinkle cream is easier than it may seem. Keeping a few potent ingredients in mind will help you find your next wrinkle cream quickly and efficiently.
Bottom Line
Although no one can completely escape the symptoms of time that appear on the face, using sunscreen to prevent skin damage and using a wrinkle cream is your best defense. The best wrinkle creams use ingredients that are clinically effective in promoting maximal hydration, reducing fine lines and wrinkles, increase collagen production and skin cell renewal, the abilty to diminish wrinkles long term and improve skin texture and firmness to soften the appearance of lines and creases while helping women stay looking as young 
