We live in a society that values a person's outer appearance greatly and that places importance on defying the effects time has on our bodies. The number one sign of aging is the formation of wrinkles on our faces. We do everything we can to prevent the formation of these wrinkles and to remove those wrinkles that have already formed. Some even go to such great lengths as to have surgery on their faces to remove those unsightly wrinkles. For those of us who are unwilling to have surgery, there are products on the market that claim to remove wrinkles. There are many products available, but those that come in cream form have become the most popular of all of these products. The main active ingredient in most of these anti-wrinkle creams is an ingredient known as AHA (alpha hydroxy acids), also known as fruit acids. The way these products work is by peeling off the outer layer of your skin, revealing the newer, fresh layer of skin underneath. This concept allows companies to market their anti-wrinkle products as a natural way to rejuvenate the skin. Dermatologists, however, have warned users of products containing AHA that it may actually cause long-term damage to you skin. Research done by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has shown that people who use products containing this chemical are more sensitive to the sun's ultra violet rays. These warnings do not necessarily mean that you should throw away your anti-wrinkle cream. If you are a user of these creams, dermatologists suggest that you also use sunscreen with a protection factor of greater than fifteen. They also suggest that you buy products with less than a 4% concentration of fruit acids. Using a product with lower concentration should be safe. |
