Anti-aging skin care products are very popular today; the growth in popularity is due in no small part to the fact that we are all living and working longer. Skin is important so a great deal of effort goes into the preparation of beauty products especially those that increase the production of collagen, which is the primary protein in skin; collagen is so abundant, it makes up about a quarter of the total protein content of structural protein found in skin. This category of skin products is in fact related to another group of everyday products that help reduce the signs of aging; we call them antioxidants, they aid the repair of cell damage associated with cell damage.

Vitamin C is probably one of the better known anti-oxidants in use today but the debate about the daily quota required is ongoing. The problem with vitamin C derived skin care treatments is they can become oxidized when exposed to the atmosphere, often even before they are used.

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. Unfortunately the anti-oxidant products used to replace vitamin C are not as effective but as vitamin E and lipoic acid can both have the same effect; this is not too much of a problem.

The body uses vitamin E as an antioxidant and to increase the natural defense we have against sickness; it helps build resistance against infection like cancer for example. Lipoic acid, which is found inside every cell of the body, helps generate the energy that keeps us alive and functioning; an additional function is to repair skin damage caused by the normal aging process.

Other compounds called phytochemicals have proved to be beneficial in the formulation of anti-ageing skin care products; they are removed from various plants. A further benefit of these phytochemicals is their ability to prevent the onset of certain cancers; such as:

• Cancer of the Prostate
• Breast Cancer
• Colon Cancer

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. This just goes to highlight just how complex and far reaching the whole field of anti-ageing skin care products is and why so much more research is required. There is no doubt that what has been learned so far is only a small part of the jigsaw puzzle; there is still a long way to go however, before methods that successfully reduce the effects of age are commonplace.

With the research that is now taking place, many people are confident that in time, more effective, cheaper anti-ageing skin care products will be discovered. However, man-made skin care regimes should be used only as a supplement; fortunately there is a number of natural anti-aging regimes that can be carried out that do not rely on science. You know all these things but how many do you practice? Regular exercise, restful sleep, drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet and keeping your stress levels low are all necessary.