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Peoples' preoccupation with anti-aging skin care products that claim to make you look younger is not surprising; reducing the visible signs of aging is the goal for many people as they grow older, and why shouldn't it be? 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. Most anti-ageing products (collagen included) fall into a category of natural everyday products we all use; called antioxidants, they help flush out toxins from the body and help reduce the signs of aging.

Vitamin C is probably one of the better known anti-oxidants in use today but the debate about the daily quota required is ongoing. Unfortunately all skin care treatments that use vitamin C have the problem of atmospheric oxidization to contend with once the product is exposed to 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. Unfortunately the anti-oxidant products used to replace vitamin C are not as effective but as vitamin E and lipoic acid can both have the same effect; this is not too much of a problem.

Vitamin E is an antioxidant and component of human blood whose purpose is to help increase the body's immune system; one particular disease it may help to prevent is certain types of cancer. Lipoic acid, which is found inside every cell of the body, helps generate the energy that keeps us alive and functioning; it can help reverse much of the damage caused to the skin by aging.

Other compounds called phytochemicals have proved to be beneficial in the formulation of anti-aging skin care products; they are removed from various plants. A further benefit of these phytochemicals is their ability to prevent the onset of certain cancers; for instance:

*Cancer that attacks the Prostate
*Breast Cancer in Women (and occasionally men)
*Cancer that attacks the Colon

These three types of cancer are also becoming a global problem.

For some time now it has also been known that the vitamins B5, B6 and B12 also have anti-aging skin care properties. Although the area of anti-aging skin care products is huge, more is being learnt about the whole aging process and about natural products that can reduce the effects it has on our bodies as well as our skin. Whilst a great deal has been learned about this subject, it is only the tip of the iceberg; more long term effective methods will eventually be found to reverse or slow down the effects of aging.

In time it is hoped that less expensive and more reliable anti-aging skin care products will become available for a larger number of people to use. Scientific research into anti-aging products is still in the early stages but they should never be relied upon; we must not forget however, that there are many more natural methods we can all use to reduce the signs of aging on a regular basis. 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 aging process.