How to Choose an Anti-Aging Facial Treatment Product

Anti-aging facial treatment products are lining the shelves in stores today. Everyone wants to find the proverbial fountain of youth. Looking younger is a thriving industry and it keeps getting stronger as the vast baby boomer generation reaches retirement age. In fact, youth is so prized in our society that even young women in their 20s and 30s are looking for anti-aging facial treatment products to take the barely showing years off. There are hundreds of anti-aging facial treatment products on the market, so it takes a little education to choose just the right product for you.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Choose a product that's right for your age group. Women in their 30s who are just starting to get the barest appearance of fine lines will need a lighter product than women in their 40s and beyond. Look at the label to see what age group is indicated, or if the product is intended for light or intensive anti-aging.
2. Choose a product containing retinol if you want to reduce wrinkles. So far, retinol is the only product that's been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the specific purpose of wrinkle reduction. While some anti-aging facial treatment products may contain other ingredients purported to reduce wrinkles, only retinol has been clinically proven to do this.
3. Get a product containing green tea extract. Green tea extract is anti-inflammatory and will reduce the redness and puffiness that can make you look older.
4. Select a product containing alpha hydroxy acids. These acids act as gentle exfoliants for your face, removing dry, dead skin cells to reveal the new, smoother skin underneath.
5. Pick a product containing vitamin C. Vitamin C stimulates the production of collagen, which helps keep skin firm and supple.
6. Compare different anti-aging facial treatment products online before you shop. You'll get an idea of what brand names are available, what they do and how much they cost. The Consumer Products Review website has a comprehensive comparison chart of the various anti-aging facial products out there (see Resources below).

Tips & Warnings

• If possible, test a small dot of an anti-aging product on the skin on your arm or leg before buying it. After applying the product, wait a full 24 hours to see if a rash or other reaction develops. If it doesn't, then you know the product is safe for you to use.