The use of anti-ageing skin care products these days is on the increase and all things considered it is perfectly natural; as our lifespan increases so does our desire to remain active as well as look young and healthy. This is done using skin care products that encourage the growth of the protein collagen which happens to be the main source of the protein used in the connective tissue of skin; almost 25 percent of the protein in skin is actually collagen. This area of anti-ageing treatments is connected to another group of products that help people to look young; this group is called antioxidants and apart from their cell repairing ability, they may be able to reduce the risk of cancer and heart disease.

One of the best known anti-oxidants is vitamin C and despite continual research, no-one body involved can decide just exactly how much our body should consume on a daily basis. 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.

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant and is found in human blood; it helps build resistance against infection like cancer for example. Another of these is lipoic acid which is found in every cell of our body to help generate energy for us to live; it is also able to help reduce and restore the skin's 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-ageing skin care products. Another benefit of phytochemicals, like those of alpha-lipoic acid, is their ability to reduce the prevalence of certain cancers; these include:

*Cancer that attacks the Prostate

*Breast Cancer in Women (and occasionally men)

*Colon Cancer

These are some of the most common (and increasingly so) cancers in the world today.

Some B-vitamins like B5, B6 and B12 are also in use for anti-ageing skin care products. The use of anti-ageing skin care products is a huge scientific field to research and has far greater potential than just producing goods that reduce the visible signs of age. Although current regimes are quite effective, there are many ways to combat the effects of time; there is still a long way to go however, before methods that successfully reduce the effects of age are commonplace.

In time it is hoped that less expensive and more reliable anti-ageing skin care products will become available for a larger number of people to use. However, man-made skin care regimes should be used only as a supplement; it is doubtful if science can replace natural skin care remedies. 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.