Monday, March 2, 2009

Choosing The Right Wrinkle Cream

By Jen Hopkins

The prospect of choosing a wrinkle cream can be a daunting task. There are many choices at the drugstore, and even the grocery store has a large selection. You see offers for wrinkle creams that are only available online, or hear your friend talking about how much she loves the product she orders through one of those network marketing organizations. Should finding the right product for you be left to chance?

Almost all wrinkle cream marketing contains the same claims. There isn't a manufacturer that doesn't think their cream works to reduce fine lines. They all say that their product will delay signs of aging. Every anti aging cream is meant to make you look younger in a relatively short time. Therefore, going by the manufacturer's claims doesn't help you very much.

The word-of-mouth approach is another possibility. The advantage of getting feedback from people who have actually tried the product would be ideal. However, they would have to be people whose judgment you trust so that you could have faith in their recommendation.

But then, how many people do you know who fit the bill? There are so many products out there, you may have to look hard for someone whoas tried the one youare interested in. And then thereas the problem of different skin types; what works for one person might not work for you.

Scientific tests have been performed on some wrinkle creams, but you only hear about them as part of a productas marketing. A manufacturer will promote a product that performs well, but thereas no way to compare it to any other product. Thereas no place to go for independent information.

Unlike prescription products, which must be compared to a similar moisturizer to test their efficacy over and above a standard product, over the counter creams are usually only tested in a before and after study that looks for some treatment effect.

Fortunately, there are some test results regarding the effectiveness of ingredients commonly used in anti-wrinkle creams. Manufacturers of drugstore creams have started including retinoids, a type of vitamin A found in some prescription products. Although retinoids can take up to a year for their maximum effect to be seen on skin, they do work for many people. Other ingredients that have been tested include hydroxy acids and antioxidants, though these may not hold quite as much promise.

The benefit of wrinkle creams comes primary from their ability to moisturize and protect the skin, which does not require an expensive product. Rather than paying 200 dollars for a specialized cream, you may wish to try a less expensive option to see if it works for you. Studies have shown that drugstore creams perform very similarly to creams that contain aexclusivea anti-aging ingredients. - 15634

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