One of the most successful areas of health and beauty is anti-aging skin care products. the growth in popularity is due in no small part to the fact that we are all living and working longer. 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 a member of another family of substances that aid in reducing the signs of aging. we call them antioxidants, they aid the repair of cell damage associated with cell damage.
Although the benefits of vitamin C (an anti-oxidant) are well documented, it is still debated as to what our daily amount should be. Unfortunately all skin care treatments that use vitamin C have the problem of atmospheric oxidization to contend with once the product is exposed to 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. However, these anti-aging skin care treatments are not as effective vitamin C based products, although vitamin E and lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants and have similar effects.
Vitamin E is found in the blood and is an antioxidant that is also used to increase the body's defenses against other health problems; there is some evidence to show it helps prevent diseases including cancer. 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.
Phytochemicals form the other category of anti-aging skin care products which are special chemicals that are extracted from plants with a variety of that are used in skin care today. Phytochemicals prevent occurrence of certain types of cancer.
These are some of the most common (and increasingly so) cancers in the world today.
*Cancer that attacks the Prostate
*Cancer that attacks the Breast
*Colon Cancer
Some B-vitamins like B5, B6 and B12 are also in use for anti-aging skin care products. The use of anti-aging skin care products is a huge scientific field to research and has far greater potential than just producing goods that reduce the visible signs of age. A great deal about the aging process has already been learned and the products available today are already far more advanced than ten years ago; more long term effective methods will eventually be found to reverse or slow down the effects of aging.
In time it is hoped that less expensive and more reliable anti-aging skin care products will become available for a larger number of people to use. At the moment though, science is still behind the field of natural anti-aging methods; man-made products may never replace those that are available naturally! Natural methods are known, but few people actually follow them; what proportion of the population actually eats healthily, takes plenty of exercise, drink sufficient water and obtain restful and regular sleep?
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Copyright 2008 Ron King. This article may be reprinted if the resource box is left intact and the links live.
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