What’s New: Advances in Face Care

Today's over-the-counter face products are better than ever at combating aging skin. And it's not just women who are buying and using them. One out of every three men between the ages of 18 and 59, according to a poll conducted by the magazine Men's Health, say it's "very or extremely acceptable" to use antiaging skin care products.

What makes today's over-the-counter skin care products better? Working with tools used to study cancer, scientist have been applying their knowledge of genes to better understand how skin ages. Along with that understanding comes new technologies that can help keep you looking young, smooth, and healthy.

The Science of Antiaging Creams

Past generations used skin creams that reduced the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by temporarily plumping up the skin. Today's most advanced multitasking moisturizers and facial serums, though, contain multiple compounds that work synergistically to turn back the clock, changing the skin at the cellular level.  

"The 'gold standard' in antiaging products," says Jeffrey Dover, MD, "remains prescription retinoids, a form of vitamin A." Dover is associate clinical professor of dermatology at the Yale School of Medicine. "But now," he tells WebMD, "over-the-counter products containing lower concentrations of retinol have been shown to be effective in reversing the signs of aging."

These skin care products, sometimes called cosmeceuticals, typically use retinol, or vitamin A, in combination with other ingredients such as proteins and botanicals. One newly discovered group of proteins temporarily relaxes the facial muscles used for crinkling. This makes skin look smoother for about twelve hours.

Soaps and Cleansers That Won't Dry Your Skin

The soaps we have long used to clean our skin unfortunately also dry our skin. Most bar soaps contain sodium lauryl sulfate, which strips away natural oils from the skin. (Some organic soaps, and brands, such as Burt's Bees and Dove, do not.) In recent years, however, companies have created "moisturizing" soaps, and liquid non-soap facial cleansers that actually moisturize your skin as you wash. These new dual-use cleansers rid the face of dirt and bacteria and trap moisture in the outer layer of the skin.

These soaps and cleansers work by using emollients and humectants, such as hyaluronic acid, an essential nutrient that helps retain water in the skin's lipid layers. Some contain sustained release ceramides that are skin lipids that help keep the skin moist and help ease the dryness of eczema. Some cleansers may even contain ingredients such as benzoyl peroxide that help prevent breakouts in oily or acne-prone skin.