Anti-Aging Information

The use of anti-ageing skin care products these days is on the increase and all things considered it is perfectly natural; as we are living far longer than previous generations it is a good idea to look after your physical appearance. This is done using skin care products that encourage the growth of the protein collagen which happens to be the main source of the protein used in the connective tissue of skin; with around a quarter of our skin protein being collagen, the importance of this substance has not gone unnoticed. Collagen is related to other anti-ageing substances found in the body and other substances; we call them antioxidants, they aid the repair of cell damage associated with cell damage.

Probably the best known of these anti-oxidants is vitamin C although no-one really knows just how much we should have each day. The main problem when using any skin care treatments which use vitamin C is that oxidization can occur as soon as they have contact with the air.

Other skin care treatments which mimic the effects of vitamin C are being tried all the time which are hoped to be more stable in the atmosphere and also cheaper to produce. Although these products are good, they cannot actually compare with vitamin C but fortunately vitamin E and alpha-lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants so can be used to gain the same effect.

Found in human blood, vitamin E is not only an antioxidant but is designed to boost the immune system’s resistance to illness; there is some evidence to show it helps prevent diseases including cancer. Lipoic acid is also an energy making component of the body, found in every cell; an additional function is to repair skin damage caused by the normal aging process.

Another group of products used to reduce the visible signs of ageing are phytochemicals which are compounds extracted from various plants and used in many anti-ageing skin care products. A secondary but more important use of phytochemicals is the effect they have on the prevention of some strains of cancer; for instance:

*Cancer of the Prostate

*Breast Cancer

*Cancer of the Colon

These types of cancer are also becoming some of the most prevalent worldwide.

Other vitamins from the B group are also used in anti-ageing skin care like vitamins B5, B6 and B12 for example. The field of anti-ageing skin care products is vast and needs a great deal more research. Whilst a great deal has been learned about this subject, it is only the tip of the iceberg; there is still a long way to go however, before methods that successfully reduce the effects of age are commonplace.

The amount of research going on in this field will undoubtedly bring results in time, hopefully bringing down the cost of these anti-ageing skin care products in addition to increasing their reliability. At the moment though, science is still behind the field of natural anti-aging methods; we must not forget however, that there are many more natural methods we can all use to reduce the signs of aging on a regular basis. Drinking plenty of water, getting a good night’s sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy eating habits and keeping stress at bay are an essential means of delaying the ageing process.