There are so many wrinkle creams in the market. Some of the claims made by their manufacturers seem too good to be true. Can something you apply on your skin really erase wrinkles?

A few decades ago, claims like this would have been brushed aside as fraudulant. You might as well buy a bottle of snake oil. These days, things are very different. Technology has advanced so much that that jar of cream might just deliver what it promises.

Enter the era of the cosmeceuticals - the marriage between cosmetics with pharmaceuticals.

With cosmetics, you apply the product which improve your appearance without actually affecting the body's structure or functions. Makeup,lipstick and even a moisturizer you apply on top of your skin to make it look smoother but which does not affect skin at the cellular level are cosmetics. Moisturizers in general are applied on the skin to lubricate the skin and plump it up, hiding wrinkles. Also, healthy skin has a layer of oil that prevents excess water within the skin from being evaporated away. In dry skin, that layer of oil needs to be replenished by the use of moisturizer to keep skin supple and healthy. As one ages, skin produces less oil and becomes drier.

Pharmaceuticals on the other hand are drugs -- medicine used to cure diseases. Drugs that affect the body's structure or function.

Cosmeceuticals are cosmetics that claim to have drug-like benefits. Unlike pharmaceuticals, these claims are not required to go through the stringent tests required of pharmaceuticals. They do not have to be approved by the FDA before going on sale. Under the law, cosmeceutical has no real meaning. A product is either a cosmetic or a drug according to the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act.

Back to the question, do anti-aging creams work? Can wrinkle creams really erase wrinkles? If it could do so, it would mean the product can affect the body's structure and wouldn't that classify it as a drug?


La Mer Creme de La Mer 30ml/1oz Ingredients in anti-aging products meant to erase wrinkles include glycolic acid or other AHAs, placental extract, hyaluronic acid, retinol, seaweed extract and many others. Some products even have a patented active ingredient which is a combination of various wrinkle fighting ingredients in their secret recipe.

Let's start with glycolic acid, lactic acid and the AHA based wrinkle treatments.
Glycolic acid and the other alpha hydroxy acids used in skin care preparations basicaly shed off the skin' top layer of dead, old cells, revealing the younger skin beneath. By doing so, it actually reduces the fine line and tiny wrinkles you might see on the surface of the skin. Glycolic acid is used in the doctor's office to treat lines and acne as well, but the concentration of glycolic acid or AHAs in the skin care products or wrinkle creams you find off the counter would be far lower than what the doctor would use. Though not as effective as a chemical peel, anti wrinkle skin care products contain AHA would diminish wrinkles.

Placental extract is another interesting anti-wrinkle ingredient. You'll find it in Plazan skincare from Europe. I know it works because my aunt used lipstick with placental extract and her lips look very young. She was upset that they discontinued that product as nothing comes as close when it comes to wrinkle elimination.

Hyaluronic acid is found naturally within our skin. One molecule of hyaluronic acid holds 214 molecules of water. With is superb moisturizing abilities, hyaluronic acid is often found in moisturizers.

Retinol, or vitamin A is an ingredient that is used to deal with wrinkles from aging skin as well as sun damaged skin. It is an antioxidant which neutralizes the free radicals that would otherwise damage your skin. It does so by stimulating the production of collagen and elastin and helps repair the skin.

Your skin is made up largely of collagen, a structural protein that holds your body together. As you age, your body's production of collagen decreases. That can be seen in lost of firmness and wrinkles forming in the skin.


In the past, supplements containing collagen or which would give the body what it needs to make this precious protein was the best anti-aging defense in this arena. Marine protein was often the secret ingredient in many of these anti-aging pills for the skin. Omega 3 supplements are a great anti-aging supplements for the entire body and if skin is dry or irritated, while pueraria mirifica supplements are about the best anti-aging pills for women only. Pueraria mirifica should never be used by men as it increases breast size besides giving you healthy hair, skin, nails and more energy.

As for creams. You skin can absorb to some extent, what you put on it. That's how skincare works. Some of the latest creams developed in laboratories by cosmetics companies, contain newly created molecules that repair the skin from within.

Let's take Lancome Absolue Premium as an example. The latest brainchild of Lancome contains pro-xylane, a new molecule Lancome has developed to redensify and restructure the skin matrix and relaunch its biological rejuvenating activity. Scientist talk to mean that this new ingredient goes into every layer of the skin and replenishes te skin, rebuilding the skin from within so your skin becomes supple and firm again with regular, prolonged use.

Prevage is Elizabeth Arden's brainchild. It contains Idebenone, one of the most potent antioxidants available in the world today. It helps maintain collagen levels in the skin and makes skin look firmer. It even improves the appearance of skin that has sustained moderate to severe skin damage.

Clinique's repairwear range uses a peptide complex to enhance natural collagen production, again firming the skin and reducing the wrinkles from bottom up.

This is an interesting approach to beauty care. You know how stress makes you look awful. Lancome Neuro Cosmetics work on your nervous system to calm and soothe the skin, in addition to moisturizing it.

You know the way you look after restful sleep or a week at a spa?

Actually, this new type of skincare would be excellent for people with sensitive skin as it calms your skin.