Wrinkle cream is a spreadable substance sold in stores or prescribed by doctors to remedy, reduce, or prevent wrinkles on the body. Many wrinkle creams are marketed to women who are experiencing aging in the face and are looking for anti-aging solutions. Some common areas that wrinkle treatment products specialize in are on or around the eyes, forehead, neck, lips and jaw. Though manufacturers may claim that wrinkle creams can treat any type of wrinkle, they generally work better on new, superficial or fine lines.
Literature accompanying wrinkle cream packaging may assert that wrinkle manifestations are solely due to controllable or reversible agents like sun and wind exposure and lifestyle habits like smoking, drinking and squinting. While these things can contribute to wrinkling, other less manageable factors like genetics, elastin and collagen loss, as well as skin type, also govern the appearance of wrinkles. No wrinkle cream can counteract the effects of all these wrinkle contributors.
For this reason, many consumers have difficulty finding a wrinkle cream that accomplishes all that it claims to do. Any wrinkle cream may appear to immediately effect wrinkled areas on the skin, but these effects are likely temporary. This is because wrinkle treatments often contain moisturizers that can be easily absorbed into the skin. These liquid ingredients reduce facial dryness, which is known to exacerbate the appearance of wrinkles.
While the medical community may dispute many claims made by over-the-counter wrinkle cream manufacturers, certain active ingredients can effect the appearance of the skin, if solutions containing the ingredients are used regularly and over a lengthy period. In addition, the amount of the active ingredient present also increases the wrinkle creams' effectiveness. Dermatologists often prescribe anti-aging creams with the highest concentrations of active ingredients.
Retinol, hydroxy acids, Coenzyme Q10, copper peptides, kinetin and tea extracts are all active ingredients used in wrinkle creams and each contribute to treating wrinkles. For example, retinol, a Vitamin A compound and antioxidant, counteracts free radicals that have been linked to the emergence of wrinkles. Alpha hydroxy acids, beta hydroxy acids and poly hydroxy acids contain fruit-derived acids that act as exfoliants which remove dead skin cells and encourage their replacement with new, and better pigmented ones, while Coenzyme Q10 controls energy production of the new skin cells. Kinetin helps stimulate collagen production that helps to fill in lines and keeps moisture within the skin. The extracts from oolong, black and green tea also contain antioxidants, and copper peptides aid antioxidants in their work to improve skin texture.
Recent concerns about artificial ingredients and their links to various illnesses cause many consumers to opt for natural or organic wrinkle treatments. In addition to being more inexpensive than their chemically-based counterparts, organic treatments are less likely to contain irritating artificial ingredients like paraben preservatives, acids and sodium laureth sulfate that can result in allergic reactions. Those who choose organic treatments look for ingredients including essential oils like lavender oil, argireline and nut, vegetable, plant or fruit-derived compounds and acids such as malic acid and tartaric acid to accelerate cellular turnover.
Genuine wrinkle creams expose new skin and increase skin sensitivity, so care should be taken when using a wrinkle cream on any skin type. Anti-aging solutions should be used in conjunction with sunscreen, high-quality moisturizers and simple, mineral-based makeup products to decrease irritation risks and increase effectiveness. Consumers should also exercise common sense when shopping for a wrinkle cream. Cosmetics, especially in the United States, are not usually regulated or tested for effectiveness. Similarly, the efficacy of wrinkle creams doesn't necessarily correlate with manufacturers' claims or the costs of the creams.