In the U.S. alone, Hoovers estimates that the beauty industry rakes in about $10 billion per year. Thanks to America's youth-obsessed culture, anti-aging creams play a large role in that spending spree. Whether they produce results or not, consumers are clearly ready to continue spending money on creams to help stop the visible effects of aging.
Purpose
Depending on the individual product, anti-aging creams may claim to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles, prevent future wrinkles, lift sagging skin, restore skin's disappearing moisture, replace vanishing collagen, erase the signs of sun damage and more. Some anti-aging creams target specific trouble spots like the eyes or neck, while others target a specific problem, such as skin discoloration.
Common Ingredients
According to MayoClinic.com, you're likely to find one or more of the following in an anti-aging wrinkle cream: retinol, coenzyme Q10, fruit-based hydroxy acid, copper and tea extract. Retinol attacks free radicals, the molecules that cause skin damage and wrinkles. Coenzyme Q10 may also fight wrinkles as well as sun damage. Hydroxy acids exfoliate the skin, removing dead and damaged outer layers. Copper peptides help your skin produce more natural collagen, the fiber that keeps skin plump and smooth. Tea extracts calm the skin with soothing anti-inflammatory properties.
FDA Status: Cosmetic vs. Drug
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration distinguishes between "cosmetics" and "drugs" when approving new products for American consumers. Cosmetic products aren't meant to change any part of the body---they're meant to clean it or temporarily alter its appearance. The FDA includes moisturizers, makeup, shampoo, hair colors and deodorants in this category. Drugs are meant to change your body, altering the way it functions in order to treat a particular condition. Many anti-aging creams fall into the drug category because they claim to alter the structure of your skin.
Warning
Some anti-aging cream manufacturers, however, market and distribute their creams as cosmetics while making drug-like claims about the product's results. The FDA published an updated alert in April 2010 warning certain manufacturers that their products are essentially unapproved drugs. Unfortunately, this means many anti-aging creams claim they achieve results that have not been evaluated by the FDA.
Efficacy
Since everyone's skin is different, no product or brand can make realistic claims to produce results for all who try it. In fact, there's been a recent backlash against pricey drugstore and department store creams. A 2009 British study conducted by a consumer organization called "Which?" found that, when used by a control group, the least expensive anti-wrinkle eye cream in the study outperformed every other formula tested, including a product by popular anti-aging retailer StriVectin.
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