It is not surprising that one of the largest markets in the world of health and beauty is anti-aging skin care products; this is due primarily to the fact we are all living longer and want to continue looking younger as we age. We achieve this with beauty products that synthesize the production of the protein collagen; collagen makes up approximately 25 percent of the total protein in the skin. Collagen is a member of another family of substances that aid in reducing the signs of ageing. we call them antioxidants, they aid the repair of cell damage associated with cell damage.

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.

To overcome this problem, manufacturers use alternative skin care treatments that still provide the same benefits but not the high manufacturing costs. 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.

Found in human blood, vitamin E is not only an antioxidant but is designed to boost the immune system's resistance to illness; there is some evidence to show it helps prevent diseases including cancer. On the other hand, lipoic acid or alpha-lipoic acid is necessary for energy production which keeps us alive; an additional function is to repair skin damage caused by the normal aging process.

The use of plants has not been overlooked either with many types able to provide essences called phytochemicals which have proved successful in anti-aging skin care products. Like lipoic acid, phytochemicals help reduce the occurrence of cancers; for example:

<ul> <li>Cancer that attacks the Prostate</li> <li>Cancer that attacks the Breast</li> <li>Cancer that attacks the Colon</li> </ul>

These types of cancer are also becoming some of the most prevalent worldwide.

Surprisingly, the group of vitamins; B5, B6, and B12 have also shown that they can be used to help reduce the effects of ageing. This just goes to highlight just how complex and far reaching the whole field of anti-ageing skin care products is and why so much more research is required. 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.

The amount of research going on in this field will undoubtedly bring results in time, hopefully bringing down the cost of these anti-ageing skin care products in addition to increasing their reliability. However, man-made skin care regimes should be used only as a supplement; man-made products may never replace those that are available naturally! 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.