Science has proven to date that our bodies age in two clearly defined ways - by free radical oxidization, and by hormone imbalance within the body. Both processes occur naturally within all of our bodies, which is why we all age throughout our lives.

It is when we alter these processes by changing our own lifestyles and habits and even lack of habits that we are in some small way able to exercise control over the way we age, or as the opposite may deem true as well, that we lose control over the way we age. To date science has not provided us with the key to stopping aging altogether, but we do know of ways we can influence the rate at which we age and even to alter the effects of aging - at least the physical aspects of aging.

The production of topical cosmetics is a huge market worldwide and it continues to find hundreds of new customers every day. Women especially are most concerned about the way that they look, and consequently the way that they look while aging. Many types of cosmetics have been developed to date to assist in altering the visible signs of aging apparent on most of us, which may include such signs as weight gains, graying hair, sagging skins, wrinkled skins, and even memory loss and receding hairlines. Weight gain is an easy enough problem to deal with, and many doctors and practitioners alike advise time and time again that exercise is the biggest help for the aging person. Even graying hair can be colored to cover the grey patches using one of a multitude of available hair pigments or dyes on the market. It is the treatment of such problems as sagging and wrinkled skin that is the focus of our discussion however.

Anti aging cosmetics are targeted specifically for topical use and topical treatments. Almost all anti aging cosmetics would therefore carry anti-oxidants to aid in the removal of oxygen free radicals from the surface of the skin, most especially the face. Free radicals work by targeting the cells and destroying them single handedly, therefore to slow down the effects of free radical attacks (wrinkles, sagging or loose skin) we need to bind the free radicals before they get the opportunity to damage the cells. Anti oxidants usually take the form of vitamins, so almost all topical face and body treatments that claim to reduce wrinkle formation and the incidence of sagging skin will contain one or more types of the skin vitamins. These include vitamins A, C and E, and even co-enzyme Q10.

Yet other cosmetic treatments claim to reverse the signs of aging such as the receding hair line and wrinkled skin. These types of anti aging cosmetic treatments would contain topical hormone treatments specific to the area for use. For example, a cosmetic treatment for the stimulation of hair growth would most likely contain proteins essential for stimulation of hair growth or even stimulation of the follicle cells.