Reading the list of ingredients on most skin cream bottles requires magnifying glasses and a chemistry textbook, making it difficult to determine which ingredients really work to leave your skin soft and smooth. The right skin cream ingredients can soothe rough patches and irritations, while smoothing out minor wrinkles and improving skin's elasticity and appearance.
Sunscreen
According to the Mayo Clinic, exposure to ultraviolet light is the top cause for aging the appearance of skin. Sunlight causes a variety of negative skin effects, including uneven pigmentation, rough patches and wrinkles.
Sunblock is the most important skin-smoothing cream ingredient. Skin creams containing sunblock rated at least 15 and blocking both UVA and UVB rays will deter or prevent future wrinkles, keeping skin smooth and healthy for years to come.
Because it is important to use sunscreen all year around, even in places with cold winters, Columbia University Health Services recommends selecting a daily-use moisturizer with sunscreen, helping to avoid sun damage, which is the leading cause of dry skin.
Emollients
Emollients are the oils in skin creams that form a moisture barrier, locking moisture into the skin and helping keep skin cells plump and fresh looking. No skin cream can add moisture back into your skin, says Columbia University Health Services, but the oil helps keep moisture from escaping and evaporating from your skin cells.
These emollients are necessary because washing with soap and hot water removes the skin's natural oils. Northwestern Health Sciences University states that emollients made of organic, cold-pressed oils not only help smooth skin by keeping in moisture, but also contain nutrients beneficial for skin health. These emollient ingredients can include almond oil, avocado oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil and shea butter.
Retinol
Retinol is a compound of Vitamin A, and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration as a topical wrinkle treatment, according to the Mayo Clinic. Retinol is an antioxidant, a substance that neutralizes unstable oxygen molecules--also called free radicals--that can otherwise break down skin cells and cause wrinkles.
Tretinoin is another Vitamin A derivative often used in skin creams containing retinol, according to Columbia University Health Services. Tretinoin helps the skin replace old dead skin cells with new ones. Many retinoids are available in over-the-counter skin smoothing creams, but at present, Tretinoin is only available by prescription.
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