The use of anti-aging skin care products has grown enormously over the last two decades. This is due primarily to the fact we are all living longer and want to continue looking younger as we age. The skin care industry uses beauty products that increase the synthesis of the protein collagen, the main protein in skin which becomes less elastic as we age.

Collagen makes up approximately 25 percent of the total protein in the skin. Collagen is related to other natural substances which help to slow down the aging process; we call them antioxidants, they aid the repair of cell damage associated with cell damage.

Probably the best known of these anti-oxidants is vitamin C although no-one really knows just how much we should have each day. The main problem when using any skin care treatments which use vitamin C is that oxidization can occur as soon as they have contact with 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. Although these products are good, they cannot actually compare with vitamin C but fortunately vitamin E and alpha-lipoic acid are also anti-oxidants so can be used to gain the same effect.

The body uses vitamin E as an antioxidant and to increase the natural defense we have against sickness; one particular disease it may help to prevent is certain types of cancer. Lipoic acid is found in every single human cell and helps provide energy. It is also able to help reduce and restore the skin's aging process.

Another group of products used to reduce the visible signs of aging are phytochemicals which are compounds extracted from various plants and used in many anti-aging skin care products. Like lipoic acid, phytochemicals help reduce the occurrence of cancers; for instance prostate, breast and colon cancer. All three of these are on the increase in the world today.

It has also been discovered that there are anti-aging benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. Although the area of anti-aging skin care products is huge, more is being learnt about the whole aging process and about natural products that can reduce the effects it has on our bodies as well as our skin. A great deal about the aging process has already been learned and the products available today are already far more advanced than ten years ago. With the number of genetic discoveries made in recent years, it is only a matter of time before conquering the effects of age is commonplace.

There may be many challenges still to overcome but in time scientists believe they will succeed in producing more effective anti-aging skin care products that are less expensive and available to more people. However, man-made skin care regimes should be used only as a supplement. It is doubtful if science can replace natural skin care remedies. Simple things that can make a difference in slowing the signs of aging. These include physical activity, restful sleep, maintaining good dietary habits and removing stress from your life.