Most anti-wrinkle guides start with the detrimental effects that sunlight has on your skin, but I'm going to skip that one, for the time being. I'd like to start with the detrimental effects that many cosmetics have on your skin.

Respected dermatologists have said for many years that petrolatum, mineral oil and paraffin interfere with the skin's natural rejuvenation processes and should not be used on a regular basis, if at all. But, many of the skincare products that people use every day contain them. Using an effective moisturizer is often recommended by anti-aging specialists, but practically every moisturizer on the market contains one or all of them.

If you really want to minimize wrinkles and look your best as time goes by, read the label of ingredients on any product that you are currently using. If it contains petrolatum, mineral oil or paraffin, throw it out.

Many people believe that genetics plays a big role in how you look as time goes by. But, studies that included identical twins have shown that overexposure to the sun, along with smoking, greatly contribute to wrinkle formation. Twins that smoke or spend lots of time in the sun look older than their siblings that don't. The reason for this has less to do with the sun and the smoke as it does to do with the free radicals that those things generate.

Free radicals contribute to all of the signs of age, as well as most age-related diseases. Antioxidants are the body's natural defense against free radicals. Numerous studies have shown that low levels of antioxidants in the bloodstream are associated with a variety of health problems. Taking your vitamins helps, but if you want to really minimize wrinkles, you need to look for a moisturizer that contains the antioxidant coenzyme Q10.

Studies have shown that the skin's coenzyme Q10 content is quickly depleted when a person is exposed to UV rays from the sun. The antioxidant is working as hard as it can to neutralize free radicals, but the longer you spend in the sun, the more free radicals are generated. No matter how good your diet is or how many vitamins that you take, the best way to supplement the skin's antioxidant content is to rub on an antioxidant-rich skin cream.

In a recent study that included volunteers with multiple symptoms of sun damage, coenzyme Q10 was shown to reduce and minimize wrinkles by nearly 30%. That was after six weeks of daily use. Be wary of companies that promise immediate results. It takes years of molecular damage for a wrinkle to develop. It takes a little time for them to fade away.

Coenzyme Q10 is not the only nutrient that has been proven effective when applied topically and those three ingredients mentioned above are not the only ones to avoid. There is always more to learn about how to minimize wrinkles and protect your skin's health. This is just the tip of the ice burg.