It is quite normal to expect people to want to look attractive and this might explain why anti-aging skin care products are so successful; as we are living far longer than previous generations it is a good idea to look after your physical appearance. The skin care industry uses beauty products that increase the synthesis of the protein collagen, the main protein in skin which becomes less elastic as we age; 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 aging 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. 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. Although these products are good, they cannot actually compare with vitamin C but fortunately vitamin E and alpha-lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants so can be used to gain the same effect.

Found in human blood, vitamin E is not only an antioxidant but is designed to boost the immune system's resistance to illness; it has been linked to resistance to a number of conditions including certain types of cancer. On the other hand, lipoic acid or alpha-lipoic acid is necessary for energy production which keeps us alive; it is also able to help reduce and restore the skin's aging process.

Phytochemicals aren't produced by the body but are extracted from a number of plants and used in many anti-aging skin care products to combat the signs of ageing. Like lipoic acid, phytochemicals help reduce the occurrence of cancers; these include:

<ul> <li>Prostate Cancer</li> <li>Breast Cancer in Women (and occasionally men)</li> <li>Cancer of the Bowel</li> </ul>

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

Other vitamins from the B group are also used in anti-ageing skin care like vitamins B5, B6 and B12 for example. 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; there is still a long way to go however, before methods that successfully reduce the effects of age are commonplace.

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. At the moment though, science is still behind the field of natural anti-aging methods; in some respects the real way ahead lies in our own hands as there are many things we can do to reduce the signs of aging - naturally. Simple things that can make a difference in slowing the signs of ageing; these include physical activity, restful sleep, maintaining good dietary habits and removing stress from your life.