Choosing an ‘Anti ageing’ moisturiser
By Philip Stuckey, Strategy Director, Natural Empathy
Almost every woman and more than a few men will start looking for a good anti-wrinkle face cream as they get older. Unfortunately we don’t have to be very old before the ageing process begins to show on a close inspection of our skin. Wrinkles (or fine lines, as they are called when they are small) are one of the most obvious effects of ageing and we will all have them sooner or later. The question is, can certain anti-ageing moisturisers slow down this inevitable process? And if so, which ones? And what are their eco credentials?
The age that you are when you start to notice wrinkles depends on many factors including your skin type, exposure to the sun, lifestyle, eating and drinking habits, sleep patterns and stress quotient, but inevitably they will come.
Some people decide to undergo cosmetic surgery to treat wrinkles but this is a rather drastic and questionable solution. The effects of both surgery and non-surgical procedures such as filler injections are temporary and the more you have, the more you lose of the natural look of the face. That may not seem important when you are young, but you may be surprised to learn that you will still care how you look when you are in your sixties and seventies! So rather than call a cosmetic surgeon at the first sign of a wrinkle, it is much better to invest in good skin care products and establish a good skin-care regime.
Anti wrinkle or anti ageing creams are more than simply moisturisers. They help bring about changes in the skin at the cellular level and reduce wrinkle-causing processes as well as help the skin retain moisture. These processes can be achieved by the inclusion of active ingredients that can be either synthetic or naturally derived. Typically, the more mass market a product is the more likely it is to contain a high level of synthetic ingredients due to price pressures and the difficulties in managing the smaller, natural ingredient supply chain.
Good anti ageing creams contain antioxidants to varying degrees, including vitamin A and its derivatives which can bring about some rejuvenation of the skin, so that you get back your youthful smoothness. Some anti oxidants can protect against free radicals which affect the metabolic process and lead to premature ageing of the skin.
When you are considering wrinkle treatment creams, you will need to look at the ingredients and consider what is most likely to help your skin type, condition and lifestyle. There is not a cream that is perfect for everybody. If you have lived all your life in a cold, dry climate you will need very different skin care products to someone whose skin is used to sun and humidity. However, some are better than others in their suitability across a broad spectrum and these tend to be the more natural based products as the active ingredients tend to be of plant origin and therefore not specifically engineered to target a segment of the market. The manufacturers of natural remedies rely upon careful blending of formulations for their beneficial effects.
More and more people are becoming aware of the benefits of choosing natural skincare products and the active properties of pure essential oils. This is one of the fastest growing sectors in the beauty industry as the concern grows about the safety of certain widely used chemicals such as parabens and aggressive sulphates.
It is anticipated by industry experts that this trend will continue as the natural alternative brands establish themselves as a significant niche due a number of factors including a growing skepticism about the often outlandish claims made by mass market products and the general drive towards a healthier lifestyle.
When choosing an active moisturiser it is therefore important to select one that is in tune with you, your particular needs and one you feel you can trust. This may take a little trial and error but you can sure of one thing…what goes on goes in…and therefore it is prudent to be aware of how natural a product really is.
Moisturisers that ‘nourish’ and protect the skin as well as soften it using natural, botanical based science are in the opinion of the author, the most likely to produce sustainable results whilst reducing the risk of chemical contamination or undesirable side effects. The research continues however, and there are a lot of conflicting opinions in this area.
Even good quality essential oils can cause skin reactions in certain people but these will soon become apparent and not cause long term damage. The more likely outcome for the vast majority of people is a visible improvement in skin health without the worry about absorbing synthetic chemicals into your system and the longer term damage that may result from this.
To make things even more complicated however, all ingredients natural or otherwise have chemical sounding names which have by law to be recorded on the label. Therefore, many natural beauty product manufacturers are also carrying the common name on the label too so that their customers are better informed e.g. pelargonium graveolens (geranium) oil.
As with most things in life we have to be well informed to make good choices so it is better not to simply accept what an advertisement might suggest. The information is available these days and in matters of health and well being it is worth seeking it out.
Furthermore it is important to be sure that manufacturers are not simply playing lip service to the natural theme by incorporating only a token amount within the formulation and packaging it all up in non-recyclable containers. Eco responsibility in beauty products is rare but can be found in niche players who put pride in their philosophy before profit.
At Natural Empathy we have a passion for purity and a respect for nature that influences all our choices in product development and in our attitude to this crowded and complicated market. We expect that the mass market producers will eventually be forced to think in the same way as pressure builds for healthier choices in body care. Until then it will be down to a partnership between the niche producers like Natural Empathy and an increasingly savvy public looking behind the marketing claims.