The use of anti-ageing skin care products these days is on the increase and all things considered it is perfectly natural; this is due primarily to the fact we are all living longer and want to continue looking younger as we age. This is achieved in beauty products by promoting the growth of connective tissue using the protein collagen which is the most abundant in the skin of all animals; almost 25 percent of the protein in skin is actually collagen. Collagen is a member of another family of substances that aid in reducing the signs of ageing. called antioxidants, they help flush out toxins from the body and help reduce the signs of aging.

Although the benefits of vitamin C (an anti-oxidant) are well documented, it is still debated as to what our daily amount should be. Vitamin C formulated skin care treatments suffer with a particular problem of oxidizing on contact with the air which causes a problem for users and manufacturers.

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.

Vitamin E has many functions including inhibiting the formation of cancer cells. It is found in the blood it is an antioxidant that is also used to increase the body's defenses against other diseases. Another, lipoic acid is in every cell of our body and is used to generate energy for us to live but also helps reduce and reverse the skin's ageing process.

Phytochemicals aren't produced by the body but are extracted from a number of plants and used in many anti-ageing skin care products to combat the signs of ageing. A further benefit of these phytochemicals is their ability to prevent the onset of breast cancer, prostate cancer and colon cancer all of which are on the increase globally.

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.

A great deal about the ageing process has already been learned and the products available today are already far more advanced than ten years ago but there is still a long way to go. With the research that is now taking place, many people are confident that in time, more effective, cheaper anti-ageing skin care products will be discovered.

We must not forget however, that there are many more natural methods we can all use to reduce the signs of ageing on a regular basis. Regular sleep patterns, exercise, a good healthy diet and less stress will all contribute to reducing the signs of ageing, for instance!