Anti Ageing
Friday, July 11th, 2008One of the most successful areas of health and beauty is Anti-ageing skin care products. there is nothing wrong with wanting to continue looking young as you get older, in fact it is quite a healthy aim. The skin care industry uses beauty products that increase the synthesis of the protein collagen, the main protein in skin which becomes less elastic as we age; almost 25 percent of the protein in skin is actually collagen. This area of anti-ageing treatments is connected to another group of products that help people to look young; these are known as antioxidants which remove toxins from the body.
Vitamin C is probably one of the better known anti-oxidants in use today but the debate about the daily quota required is ongoing. 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. Although these products are good, they cannot actually compare with vitamin C but fortunately vitamin E and alpha-lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants so can be used to gain the same effect.
Vitamin E is an antioxidant and component of human blood whose purpose is to help increase the body’s immune system; there is some evidence to show it helps prevent diseases including cancer. On the other hand, lipoic acid or alpha-lipoic acid is necessary for energy production which keeps us alive; it is also known to combat the signs of aging very effectively by repairing skin damage caused by the aging process.
Another group of products used to reduce the visible signs of ageing are phytochemicals which are compounds extracted from various plants and used in many anti-ageing skin care products. Another benefit of phytochemicals, like those of alpha-lipoic acid, is their ability to reduce the prevalence of certain cancers; for example Prostate Cancer in Men Breast Cancer Cancer of the Bowel - All of which are on the increase globally.
Surprisingly, the group of vitamins; B5, B6, and B12 have also shown that they can be used to help reduce the effects of ageing. The field of anti-ageing skin care products is vast and needs a great deal more research. Whilst a great deal has been learned about this subject, it is only the tip of the iceberg; with the number of genetic discoveries made in recent years, it is only a matter of time before conquering the effects of age is commonplace.
In time it is hoped that less expensive and more reliable anti-ageing skin care products will become available for a larger number of people to use. Scientific research into anti-aging products is still in the early stages but they should never be relied upon; it is doubtful if science can replace natural skin care remedies. Regular sleep patterns, exercise, a good healthy diet and less stress will all contribute to reducing the signs of ageing, for instance!