Peoples' preoccupation with anti-ageing skin care products that claim to make you look younger is not surprising; as we are living far longer than previous generations it is a good idea to look after your physical appearance.

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; collagen is so abundant, it makes up about a quarter of the total protein content of structural protein found in skin.

Collagen is related to other anti-ageing substances found in the body and other substances; known as antioxidants, they are the body's method of slowing down the ageing process. Although the benefits of vitamin C (an anti-oxidant) are well documented, it is still debated as to what our daily amount should be. 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.

Other skin care treatments which mimic the effects of vitamin C are being tried all the time which are hoped to be more stable in the atmosphere and also cheaper to produce. These new anti-oxidant products are not quite as good as vitamin C although other naturally occurring compounds, vitamin E and lipoic acid can achieve the same effect.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant and component of human blood whose purpose is to help increase the body's immune system; it has many functions including inhibiting the formation of cancer cells. Another of these is lipoic acid which is found in every cell of our body to help generate energy for us to live; an additional function is to repair skin damage caused by the normal aging process.

Other compounds called phytochemicals have proved to be beneficial in the formulation of anti-ageing skin care products; they are removed from various plants. Phytochemicals prevent occurrence of certain types of cancer; such as:

*Cancer of the Prostate
*Cancer that attacks the Breast
*Cancer of the Bowel

These three types of cancer are also becoming a global problem. It has also been discovered that there are anti-ageing benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. Although the area of anti-ageing skin care products is huge, more is being learnt about the whole ageing process and about natural products that can reduce the effects it has on our bodies as well as our skin.

Gradually, new discoveries will be made to advance our understanding of the aging process; however, research is moving forward rapidly and it is only a matter of time before a new generation of products becomes available. There may be many challenges still to overcome but in time scientists believe they will succeed in producing more effective anti-ageing skin care products that are less expensive and available to more people.

It may be time to learn that not every synthetic anti-aging product is going to work; it is doubtful if science can replace natural skin care remedies. Drinking plenty of water, getting a good night's sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy eating habits and keeping stress at bay are an essential means of delaying the ageing process.