How Do I Choose the Best Age-Defying Moisturizer?

To choose the best type of age-defying moisturizer, consumers should purchase a product designed specifically for use with their target area of the body. Certain ingredients are formulated to interact in unique ways for use all over the body, or for the hands, eyes, or face specifically. These areas of the body tend to receive greater exposure to weather elements and interaction with the environment. They also have more sensitive layers of skin than the legs, torso, or back, and can require a more delicate balance of moisturizers. Antioxidants, vitamins and minerals, organic ingredients, and wrinkle reducers are among the ingredients consumers should look for when purchasing this type of product.

Antioxidants are an important ingredient that should be found in an age-defying moisturizer designed to combat the signs of aging. These organic chemicals help restore the structure of skin cells, and can improve skin's elasticity, resilience, and overall appearance. They help battle against damaging free radicals caused by exposure to extreme sunlight and air pollutants. Vitamins A and E are common antioxidants included in some full body moisturizers that can improve the look and tone of skin with prolonged use.

A facial age-defying moisturizer may also contain ingredients designed to target the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. These marks of aging are typically a result of a loss of elasticity and fat cells in the uppermost layers of the epidermis. As the skin stretches and loses the natural buoyancy of its fat cells, it becomes limp and creates the appearance of sagging. Ingredients like alpha-hydroxy acid, tropoelastin, and selenium can restore these characteristics. Consumers can determine whether a product will truly improve the appearance of their facial skin by reading the ingredients list provided on the outside of the packaging and searching for one of these key chemicals.

Organic ingredients are also popular choices for use in an age-defying moisturizer. Certain types of rejuvenating eye cream may contain a form of maple syrup. These products, typically manufactured in Canada, reduce the look of dark circles beneath the eyes by using organic sugars to plump delicate skin and combat the discoloration that can often result from sinus congestion and aging.

Mineral muds are frequently used to formulate full body moisturizers that protect and promote the youthful appearance of skin. These muds include natural antioxidant vitamins that reverse the process of aging in skin cells and create a protective barrier that helps skin resist becoming dry and damaged throughout the day. They also repair damaged skin cell walls which can break down as a result of certain types of skin disease, such as psoriasis. Muds imported from the Dead Sea of Israel, which contain the highest mineral and natural salt content of any organic muds in the world, are among the most common used in luxury body care.

Orange extract can be found in many types of the age-defying moisturizer lines designed for use on the hands. This natural ingredient restores moisture to the skin and works to trap it in skin cells so that it is not easily eroded by constant exposure to water and other drying elements. Citrus extracts are typically too harsh for daily use on the face or other parts of the body, and may be limited to hand-specific creams. They are often combined with heavy base moisturizers, such as petroleum and shea butter, that can also help to heal damaged patches of skin that frequently occur over the surface of the knuckles, backs of the wrists, and palms.