The ideal goal of an anti aging face cream would be to totally annihilate wrinkles and prevent them from ever returning, but then again that would be the discovery of the fountain of youth. So the accepted goal of a face cream is to reduce the signs of aging by diminishing lines and wrinkles as much as possible, and helping to prevent them from returning. I would guess that 50% of wrinkle creams are very effective, but the other 50% are basically dressed up lotion in extremely over priced bottles. There is a way to tell the difference; investigate the product and the ingredients thoroughly, as long as the reviews are good and the ingredients make sense the product should work. Be sure not to make the assumption that just because it is way over priced it is effective.
You should also learn to tell the difference in a preventative cream and a corrective cream; know what you are looking for before you go shopping so that you don’t end up buying a lot of products you don’t want or need. A preventative cream, or creams, will include a moisturizer and some form of protective facial sun block, because the sun and wrinkles are like peas and carrots…they just go togetherJ. On the other hand a moisturizer, no matter how smooth it makes your skin feel, is not going to repair damage. You have to buy…invest, in a special cream for this, and by investing I mean these creams are usually very pricy, so prepare yourself before you get to the check out counter.

There is no one cream that has a monopoly on the industry, there are hundreds to choose from, and it all depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you are looking for a preventative product/ moisturizer you can find these in just about every shape or form, and in natural or chemically based formulas. It is hard to go wrong with a good moisturizer, but if it is the first time you have used it you should be sure to investigate it.

Corrective products on the other hand are also a dime a dozen and like moisturizers they too come in a variety of different formulas, however, I am quick to say that many of these claims of repair or correction are marketing gimmicks to sell a product. Most definitely if they are solely based on the internet! When spending so much of your hard earned money be sure that the product works; there are so many out there that don’t. Educate yourself on the ingredients that are needed to repair damaged skin, this way no one can pull the wool over your eyes, and always, always investigate the product before buying it!!

Botulism acts as a neurotoxin, what this means is that when you ingest the bacteria it automatically attacks your central nervous system and causes paralysis, and eventually if not promptly treated death. The paralytic effects of the bacteria are what make it work so well as a facial rejuvenator. However, Botox was not initially created for its preservation of beauty. Back in the 1960’s it was researched as a treatment for certain neurological disorders, but it was not until 1989 that it was approved to treat certain eye disorders, and the approval for its use as a cosmetic treatment didn’t come until early 2002. Since then however, Botox has been taking the world by storm and is used by everyone from women, to men, and even some children.

So how does Botox work exactly??

Humans are very characteristic people when we laugh, smile, or even frown we show it very well in our facial expressions, it is one of our amazing communicable abilities. However, making all these facial expressions, repeatedly can and will cause certain types of wrinkles such as crows feet, laugh lines ect. When injected in to the face the toxin blocks nerve impulses which dramatically weaken the muscles, thus preventing these characteristic facial expressions. One must understand that Botox is not a one time thing; the effects of it last only a short period of time, and you must keep these muscles restricting your facial movements paralyzed for several months before you notice these lines disappearing.

The pros of using Botox are it is a minimally invasive procedure, it is a simple injection, and recovery is 30 minutes. Plus people love the results. The Cons are Botox injections must be repeated time and time again, if the injections are stopped the lines will reappear. Also, they are super expensive, with prices usually starting at $600.00 per injection, and there are some side effects to consider; although rare they do occur. Some common problems associated with Botox injections are droopy eyelids, paralysis of the face(unexpected and unwanted), nausea, muscle weakness, and facial pain. Many people…like myself, have reservations about receiving Botox because of the simple fact that it is a toxin, the makers of Botox have addressed this issue by stating that there has never been a reported case of botulism after receiving an injection.

Fact is people, most definitely women, will continue to do what ever it takes to look young, and chances are nothing about that is going to change until society loosens its tight grip on our self esteem. However, don’t let this insane obsession sway your personal opinion of yourself, honestly it makes me sick to hear about a young woman in her twenties seeking out a cosmetic surgeon to get Botox injections…there is absolutely no way that a woman in her twenties has a real need for Botox and she shouldn’t start having the injections this early. Whether or not Botox is effective the first time, or the fiftieth time, it is a toxin and really shouldn’t be used at such as young age! Simply because we don’t know the real long term effects of this drug/toxin so lets approach it cautiously!

The Blood Countess, Erzabet Bathory of Hungary had one part of her nasty scheme right, to prevent wrinkles you must treat the problem inside and out. However, preferably you would do so with creams and supplements not the blood of virgins!! A wrinkle can be caused by several different things, but he majority of the problem, researchers have noted, are what are called free radicals. When the body ages it loses certain abilities, more specifically the ability to produce enough anti-oxidants and collagen, and this is why we have wrinkles when we are old and not when we are young. Our young, vibrant bodies are able to produce, fight off, and maintain a perfect harmony. The mere act of aging is what changes this, some say it is because of the stress in adulthood while others claim our body simply uses up its supply, what ever the cause it can be helped.

Let’s approach the two separate ways to treat wrinkles/aging. On the surface a wrinkle is the result of decreased amounts of collagen and elastin in the skin, and or the exposure to external free radicals. Yes, the aging body does have a lot to do with the development of wrinkles, however don’t think that you have nothing to do with it either. Exposing your skin to a variety of external free radicals such as smoke, pollutants, and UV rays is a HUGE cause of premature wrinkling. Paired with the decreased amounts of collagen and elastin, the body has nothing to fight these free radicals with thus resulting in the damage/wrinkles. A perfect example is a woman who smokes cigarettes; the development of wrinkles around her mouth and eyes are tremendously worse than that of a non-smoker due to the damage inflicted on her skin from the cigarette.

Pollution is another big cause of wrinkles it damages the skin in basically the same way as smoke, except via small chemical particles. By far the biggest and most common cause of wrinkled dried out skin is over exposure to the sun. Don’t get me wrong the sun provides our body with essential nutrients and vitamins both directly and indirectly. However, over baking in the actual sun OR a tanning booth is a great way to look older than your grandmother. UV rays have a very distinct way of turn the skin to…for lack of a better word, leather! And yes even tanning it up while you are young will have a negative impact on your skin later in life, and by later I mean your late twenties.

This change in the skin and body starts to happen way before most people think, we start losing the ability to produce enough anti-oxidants to kill these free radicals by our early thirties, and our skin changes way before that! Some researchers have suggested that we start losing the suppleness of our youthful smooth skin by adolescence.

This means that prevention needs to start young by avoiding known causes of aging and taking great care of yourself and skin. Anti-aging supplements are a great addition to anyone’s daily routine, however when taken before the damage has occurred will benefit you the most as the point is prevention. Also, be sure to be dedicated to a good skin care routine cleansing, exfoliating, moisturizing, and above all sun blocking! It is possible to hold off the inevitable, but until the actual fountain of youth is discovered we will all develop wrinkles at some point in our lifetime, if we live long enough!

The very first thing you should learn is to be wary of what you read on the internet!! There is a marketing gimmick called affiliate marketing and many…actually the majority of articles that you read boosting the success of a product are basically the same thing as a commercial on TV. These people receive a percentage of the profits for each sell they initiate, and they do so by writing articles and false statements about the products success rate. I say this so that you will know to do your own investigating on a product, don’t believe the claims made by these articles; this includes the statements made about the ingredients.

Now, let’s get down to it; the way to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is to correct the damage that has occurred. That is the first lesson in fighting aging that you must learn, treat your wrinkles as if they are an injury that you need to heal, because essentially they are. The ingredients in an effective wrinkle cream will perform this action nicely through the application of proteins (collagen and elastin), or by promoting the skin to make these proteins. There are all types of creams and lotions to help prevent signs of aging, natural or synthetic, the purpose of the cream is exactly the same…to prevent the formation, or reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

Now, unless you buy a completely organic product that lists the essential ingredients such as Vitamins A, C, or E you will need to investigate them and find out what they are typically called in English terms. For example Tocopheryl Acetate is a scientific term for a very strong, very effective, form of vitamin E. Another good example is retinol or more commonly known as Vitamin A; this list goes on and on.

So what exactly should you look for in a wrinkle cream?

Let me just say this is a trick question!! There are so many good wrinkle creams out there with the potential to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, but not one specific cream possesses every one of the hundreds of beneficial ingredients. So, I will give you some very good information to start with.
Peptides…any type, are beneficial to your skin as they are essential to repairing skin damage. Some commonly used peptides are: Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7. There are many more, but typically they will contain the word peptide in the title.

Collagen or Elastin: Are an absolute necessity to youthful looking skin, the loss of collagen and elastin are what allow our skin to wrinkle and sag in the first place. Some commonly used ingredients are called Atelocollagen, Hydrolyed Collagen, Hydrolyzed Elastin.

Vitamins: A good place to start is of course Vitamin A (retinol), Vitamin C because it helps promote the natural production of collagen, and of course Vitamin E because it is essential to the health of your skin.
Keep in mind that these are merely a few active ingredients; an effective wrinkle cream will have many other ingredients to soften the skin and support the actions of the other ingredients. But these are some very good, very essential, ingredients to start with.

So, what are these anti-aging treatments and how do they help me look and feel younger?
The goal is to fight aging at all levels possible, internally and externally. Many people make the mistake of only fighting it at the surface level, and while that is a great approach for the appearance of your skin, it is not getting the root cause. On the other hand taking an anti-aging supplement to help fight aging at an internal level, to prevent or postpone the process completely, works wonders for the body but does little for the skin. Fact is the body needs help at both of these levels, and the treatments respond so much better when taken in conjunction with each other. Making sure to meticulously care for the skin has always, and will always, be a very important part of the anti-aging process. But, when you combine this meticulous care with a supplement that helps the body make these essential skin proteins (collagen and elastin), as well as promote internal harmony within your body, the results are simply outstanding.

There is a catch however. Taking an anti-aging supplement is a great way to prevent the time clock from ticking away, once the clock has spun through several neglected cycles an anti-aging supplement is not as effective. While many of these supplements claim to be able to turn back the clock, I highly doubt that they can turn it back very far. I am not saying they can’t reverse some of the signs of aging, but the only complete reversal is surgery. However, beginning an anti-aging supplement combined with a skin treatment regimen is a great way to prevent further damage, and possibly repair some of the damage that has already occurred. If you have a substantial amount of damage your best bet may be some cosmetic procedures, or some of the higher priced creams and filler products.

Right now believe it or not the number one anti-aging beauty secret taking the world by storm and selling like umbrellas on a rainy day is… a stretch mark cream! Yes, I said a stretch mark cream. The ingredients in an effective stretch mark cream make it a great anti-aging/age reversal product. Stretch marks are deep v shaped trenches in the dermal layer of tissue; in order to reduce the appearance of these stretch marks the product must be able to fill these “trenches” with collagen. Wrinkles are child’s play in comparison to stretch marks so this cream, Srtivectin SD, easily fills the lines and wrinkles with collagen just as it would the deep stretch marks. This cream has actually been coined “topical botox” because of its effectiveness. However, be prepared to pay for this miracle in a tube; Strivectin SD typically runs $135.00 for a 6oz tube, but you know what they say you get what you pay for!