It is quite normal to expect people to want to look attractive and this might explain why anti-ageing skin care products are so successful; as we are living far longer than previous generations it is a good idea to look after your physical appearance. 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; approximately one quarter of the protein contained in skin is collagen. Collagen is related to other anti-ageing substances found in the body and other substances; this group is called antioxidants which are natural chemicals found in many foods and our body.

You probably know many anti-oxidants by name, including vitamin C, the use of which is still, even now, hotly debated in the science and nutrition community. 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.

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. However, these anti-ageing skin care treatments are not as effective vitamin C based products, although vitamin E and lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants and have similar effects.

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. On the other hand, lipoic acid or alpha-lipoic acid is necessary for energy production which keeps us alive; it is in every human cell and another function is to repair skin damage caused by the normal ageing process.

Other compounds called phytochemicals have proved to be beneficial in the formulation of anti-ageing skin care products; they are removed from various plants. A secondary but more important use of phytochemicals is the effect they have on the prevention of breast, prostate and colon cancers.

It has also been discovered that there are anti-ageing benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. 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.

There is no doubt that what has been learned so far is only a small part of the jigsaw puzzle but research is moving forward rapidly and it is only a matter of time before a new generation of products becomes available. 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.

At the moment though, science is still behind the field of natural anti-ageing methods and it might take some time to replace them. 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.