Your Skin Care Advisor
Choosing Skin Care Products: Know Your Ingredients
These days you can't open a magazine or turn on the TV without seeing a smooth-faced actress or model touting skin care products that can reverse the clock on aging skin. ''Acai,'' "alpha-lipoic acid," and ''alpha-hydroxy acids,'' are among the ingredients they promote as weapons in the war against wrinkles.
But can they actually erase wrinkles, repair sun damage, or diminish age spots?
This guide is an introduction to some of the latest ingredients being used in skin care products that may benefit your skin. Use this information to sort through the various lotions, creams, and gels on the market. If you're still unsure which are right for you, ask your dermatologist.
Antioxidants for Sun Damage and Wrinkles
Antioxidants are natural substances made up of vitamins and minerals, most notably polyphenols, which are found in most plants to in varying amounts. They have the ability to fight "free radicals" -- unstable compounds that attack human cells and damage DNA. Damaged skin cells can lead to accelerated aging in the form of wrinkles, dry skin, dark circles under eyes, dull skin, and more.
Free radicals are in the air we breathe, the foods we eat, sunlight, and pollution -- basically, just about everywhere. Eating foods rich in antioxidants is one way to ward them off. Another is to apply them on the skin, where they can seep underneath to strengthen skin cells and keep them healthy.
The antioxidants most shown to repair damage and slow the aging process include:
- Acai oil
- Alpha-lipoic acid
- Green Tea extract
- Retinol
- Vitamin C
- CoEnzyme Q-10 (CoQ-10)
- Caffeine
Other plant-based or natural treatments for aging skin found in skin-care products include:
- Alpha-hydroxy acids
- Salicylic acid
- Hyaluronic acid
Acai Oil
You may have heard the buzz about the role that the antioxidant acai plays in a healthy diet. The new "superfruit" -- berries that are native to Central and South America -- are filled with antioxidants, more than those found in other berries. Cold-pressing acai berries extracts the oil, which may fight aging by healing sun damage and smoothing wrinkles. Antioxidant levels in acai oil remain high, even after it's stored.
While studies have yet to confirm the benefits of acai oil on the skin, it is being used in masks, creams, cleansers, exfoliating scrubs, body butters, and serums.
Alpha-Lipoic Acid
Alpha-lipoic acid is produced by the body and is found in every cell. As an antioxidant, it attacks free radicals throughout the body -- it can penetrate skin-cell membranes to destroy them. Alpha-lipoic acid is promoted commercially as a substance that can erase fine lines and wrinkles, diminish pores, and give skin a healthy glow.
Green Tea Extract
The high concentration of polyphenols found in tea also have been shown to fight free radicals.
Early studies have found the ingredients in tea can reduce sun damage and may protect skin from skin cancer when applied topically. Using green tea extract under sunscreen may yield a double dose of protection. An anti-inflammatory, polyphenols in creams and lotions may also slow signs of aging and reduce sagging skin and wrinkles.
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