Although you will be able to find hundreds of "miracle" creams that promise instantly rejuvenated skin, not all live up to their claims. No anti-aging cream will give you a new face, nor will any cream be as potent as face lift surgery, says MayoClinic.com. However, some wrinkle creams may contain ingredients that offer subtle, but visible results.
Non-Prescription Ingredients
Some ingredients in over-the-counter anti-aging creams may be more potent than others. If you want to try a skin cream, use one that contains retinol, coenzyme Q10, alpha hydroxy acids, copper peptides or antioxidants as an active ingredient, recommends MayoClinic.com. Although these ingredients might offer you some wrinkle reduction, keep in mind that they don't contain strong concentrations of active ingredients; this means their results are likely temporary and limited, says MayoClinic.com.
Prescription Creams
The most potent anti-aging skin cream contains retinoids, vitamin A derivatives that can help reduce uneven pigmentation, skin roughness and wrinkle reduction, according to MayoClinic.com. Retinoids, which can be found in prescription topical treatments such as tretinoin and tazarotene, also come with potential side effects such as redness, burning, tingling, itching and increased likelihood of sunburns, says MayoClinic.com.
Before You Buy
If you want to buy an anti-aging cream, carefully weigh what you're willing to risk with the results you'd like to see. For example, you may not need to pay as much for a non-prescription cream, but the results are likely to be much subtler. On the other hand, the most expensive over-the-counter creams aren't guaranteed to be more effective than the cheapest creams, says MayoClinic.com. Also, if you're hoping to use a prescription wrinkle cream, you may get better results, but you will also risk more severe side effects.
Safety
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration considers skin creams cosmetics. Products under the "cosmetics" label aren't required to be FDA-approved before they are put on shelves, but the FDA does encourage cosmetic manufacturers to test their products for safety. If a cream hasn't been tested for safety, its label will say so, according to the Office on Women's Health in the Department of Health and Human Services.
Warning: Alpha Hydroxy Acids
If research shows the FDA that a particular ingredient has caused adverse reactions in a significant portion of consumers, the FDA will require products with that ingredient to use a warning label. As of 2002, products that contain alpha hydroxy acids must include a label that warns consumers that use of the acids might increase sunburn risk, according to MayoClinic.com.
Member Comments