The use of anti-ageing skin care products has grown enormously over the last two decades; as our lifespan increases so does our desire to remain active as well as look young and healthy. This group of beauty products generally works by enabling the synthesis of collagen, the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant in our body; approximately one quarter of the protein contained in skin is collagen.

This area of anti-ageing treatments is connected to another group of products that help people to look young; known as antioxidants, they are the body's method of slowing down the ageing process.Vanity plays a large part in the use of popular anti-ageing skin care products and treatments; as we are living far longer than previous generations it is a good idea to look after your physical appearance.

You probably know many anti-oxidants by name, including vitamin C, the use of which is still, even now, hotly debated in the science and nutrition community. The main problem when using any skin care treatments which use vitamin C is that oxidization can occur as soon as they have contact with the air.

To overcome this problem, manufacturers use alternative skin care treatments that still provide the same benefits but not the high manufacturing costs. However, these anti-ageing skin care treatments are not as effective vitamin C based products, although vitamin E and lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants and have similar effects.

Vitamin E has many functions including inhibiting the formation of cancer cells. It is found in the blood it is an antioxidant that is also used to increase the body's defenses against other diseases. Lipoic acid is found in every single human cell; it's function is to provide energy and reverse much of the damage caused to the skin by ageing.

The use of plants has not been overlooked either with many types able to provide essences called phytochemicals which have proved successful in anti-ageing skin care products. A secondary but more important use of phytochemicals is the effect they have on the prevention of breast, prostate and colon cancers.

It has also been discovered that there are anti-ageing benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. This is a vast area that has the potential for many new anti-ageing skin care products and services in the future but research needs to continue.

Whilst a great deal has been learned about this subject, it is only the tip of the iceberg and more long term effective methods need to be discovered to reverse or slow down the effects of time. Hopefully, these challenges will get resolved in due course and better and cheaper anti-ageing skin care products will be produced.

We must not forget however, that there are many more natural methods we can all use to reduce the signs of ageing on a regular basis. You know all these things but how many do you practice? Regular exercise, restful sleep, drinking plenty of water, eating a healthy diet and keeping your stress levels low are all necessary.

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Author K Brown owns Net Reports which delivers Niche Articles on a multitude of topics. Also gives away free brandable Ebooks and other valuable resources.