Ageing Cause Wrinkles

CAUSE: Ageing
EFFECT: Crepey skin, deeper eye creases, nose-to-mouth lines, marionette (mouth to chin) lines,lip lines, neck rings

There are many facial rejuvenation creams, anti-wrinkle eye creams, line erasers and wrinkle erasers on the market today. There are even affordable Botox alternatives that work just as well. These can help to reduce wrinkles if they contain the right combination of vitamins to help revitalize your skin. A number of studies have shown that applying vitamins to the skin may significantly reduce wrinkles and help repair skin damage.

The key vitamins to look for in a skin cream are Vitamins A, C, E, and K. One reason is because these contain antioxidants, which help to eliminate toxins from your body and reduce signs of aging. Antioxidants rid your body and skin of free radicals. Free radicals can cause aging, cellular damage, and even skin cancer in some cases.

Great skin is in your genes but even if you are one of the lucky ones, don’t take it for granted. After all, hereditary ageing may only account for 20 per cent of total skin ageing. This intensifies from our mid-thirties, when protein levels in our skin begin to decline by a steady one per cent each year. Later, the oestrogen slump after the menopause more than doubles the rate at which protein declines – we lose a staggering 30 per cent of collagen proteins in the first five years, resulting in a two per cent loss of skin thickness.

As well losing collagen, skin also loses plumpness because cell division slows with age. This is because stem cells are no longer able to divide and replicate accurately, and become dormant. New research shows that one of the latest hi-tech ingredients in skin creams – poly-peptides – mimic growth factors in skin to wake up dormant stem cells and encourage fibroblasts to make more collagen. Although results look promising in the test tube, the use of growth factor peptides in anti-ageing creams remains controversial.

In the meantime, retinoid-derived from vitamin A is still the only ingredient clinically proven to boost both collagen and moisturising hyaluronic acid. This was confirmed by research at the University of Michigan Medical School earlier this year. Some peptides can help smooth fine surface lines within a couple of weeks. But you need retinoids for long-term cell growth and real anti-ageing benefits. Like vitamin C, you also need to use them round the clock for up to two months before you see results, but it’s worth the wait.