Monday, March 2, 2009

How To Pick The Right Wrinkle Cream For You

By Jen Hopkins

There are so many wrinkle creams out there that picking one can be a difficult task. Any drugstore or even grocery store is likely to have shelves full of creams to choose from. Add to that the ones that you can find in online stores. Then there's the wrinkle cream that your friend swears by, that is only sold through network marketing. Finding the one that works for you can feel like a game of blind luck.

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.

The problem is that nobody has that many friends and relatives. Combined, your acquaintances barely make a dent in the plethora of wrinkle reducing products. There is also the fact that people's skin is different, and what works wonder for your neighbor might turn out to be utterly ineffective 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.

Over the counter wrinkle creams are usually only tested in a before and after study, where you look for any effect of the treatment. If it were a prescription product, it would also have to be compared to a simple moisturizer to see if it delivered any additional advantage, but this is not done with most drugstore products.

Fortunately, there is some information available about most common anti-wrinkle ingredients. A type of vitamin A known as retinoids, used in some prescription products, has shown promise, and can be found in some drugstore products as well. It has been shown to be effective for many users, though it may take up to a year for the full effect to be seen. Hydroxy acids and antioxidants have also been tested, though they may not be quite as effective.

Generally, most of the effect of wrinkle creams tends to come from their moisturizing and protecting effects on the skin. This doesn't require fancy 200 dollar products. It could make economical sense to try the cheaper options first, in case they deliver the effect you are looking for. They very well may, as there have been tests that showed little difference between exclusive anti-aging products and less expensive drugstore moisturizing creams.

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