Anti Aging and Skin Care

In the world of beauty, wrinkles are big business. We all get them - and nobody wants them. So any cream or potion which implies (the advertising standards authority objects to claims that cannot be proven) that your skin will look more radiant and youthful is on to a good thing.

We have been trying to stop the deteriorating effects of ageing on our skin since the times of the pharaohs. But where once it was poisonous mixtures, including deadly white lead, which claimed the allegiance of the fashion-conscious, today it is the fruits of science, which include collagen, vitamins, 'systems', micro-capsules, thymus extracts and retinoic acid. But can you restore youthfulness from a pot?

That the skin looks better after using most creams and lotions, there seems to be no doubt. Sophisticated scientific equipment such as spectro-microscopes, profilometers, ultra-sound and digitized image analysis (borrowed from the US Space Programme, no less) show efficacious results on 'before and after :sections of skin. But is it just cosmetic?

They say that you can make cells reproduce faster if you injure the skin, if you inflame it, slap it, sunburn it or even rub it. Any kind of injury brings forth the repairing response, happily for us. However, many women believe that their skin does look better for using special skin-creams, and who is to say they are wrong? Miracles being thin on the ground these days for most of us, it might be better to look after your skin with reasonably- priced products from well-respected companies who have a reputation to live up to, and good quality control.

As we get older, our metabolism slows down and this affects the skin as much as any other part of the body. The skin is composed basically of three separate layers. The first, the stratum corneum - the topmost layer of the epidermis - is made up of bonded, interlocked, horny, dead cells, which form a barrier and are continuously being shed. These compact cells are surrounded by layers of inter-cellular membranes which are made of different lipids. These enable skin to hold water and give cohesion to the dead surface skin cells, providing a flat, luminous effect.

New cells are born in the second or basal layer of skin, at the bottom of the epidermis. As they mature, they migrate to the skin surface - the skin renews itself about every 28 days. Don't faint, but most of the dust in your home is made up of flaked-off skin! As we age, these basal epidermal cells reproduce less quickly and efficiently, produce fewer essential components and do not hold water so well.

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