There are basically five types of skin; oily, combination, dry, normal, and sensitive skin. If you don't know your type of skin, you can perform a few simple tests at home to decide this. After you get up for the day take a dry, plain (no lotion) tissue and wipe your face with it. If it's greasy, you have greasy skin. If there's only oil on the center panel then you have combination skin.

Another test that can be done is to just wash your face with a non-greasy soap. After a few minutes, if your skin is feeling like it's being pulled or getting tight you have dry skin. Sensitive skin is a different story. If you get rashes, irritations, or allergic reactions after your morning routine, your skin is sensitive. Consultation with a physician regarding skin care is something that is strongly suggested. Now that you know your skin type, you can move on to other things you should know about skin care products in general.

Here are some bits of information you might not be aware of. Your skin is your largest organ. It needs to be taken care of, especially the parts that are exposed to prevent premature aging. What you put on your skin also gets into your blood stream. You will see later why this is such an important piece of information.

Everything has parts, components, or ingredients. With wrinkle reducers we are concerned with ingredients. As health consciousness increases world wide it is being discovered that there are harmful things in the environment and even in the products we use. There are both good and bad ingredients. Let's take a look at both the good and the bad ingredients.

Let's look at the bad stuff first. Skin care products should be all natural and although many products claim they are all natural, most are not. They are made with synthetic substances with naturally occurring substances. There may also be other harmful ingredients.

Many products contain preservatives, chemicals, and other toxic substances. Read the label if you see things you recognize as chemical or words with endings that are usually seen with alcohols or chemicals. Some of the substances used to make all skin care products are, in recent research being linked to stress, depression, and some types of cancer.

You should be looking for a natural wrinkle reducer. By natural I mean the product will not have fillers, preservatives, or other toxic substances. Natural products are made with essence of plants, minerals, and other natural substances.

Phytessence Wakame (Japanese algae) can heal your dry skin. It is abundant in minerals and is a powerful antioxidant. It is an important ingredient of skin moisturizers. Cynergy TK is a new substance. It allows your body to re-grow collagen and elastin. It also maintains the moisture necessary for skin health. Nano-Lipobelle Q10 is also a strong antioxidant. The skin quickly absorbs it - even to 7 layers deep. This means fewer wrinkles and smoother skin. Together these three things make up the strongest skin care compound that is currently available. Keratin, another natural ingredient is a fibrous protein that is insoluble and is important for hair and nail health.

Since it is likely you will have to try a number of products, let me suggest that you search out free samples of the ones you are interested in. They can be had in some cosmetic departments, in magazines, in newspapers or in the mail. Some manufacturers' will offer either free samples or a free trial period so you can try their product. If they have a website, free samples might be offered there as well. Another great source for free samples is your doctor; sales people always leave samples of all kinds of things with doctors.

Now that you have this information, I hope you put it to good use. It might cost a bit more but I think you are worth it!