With the aging of the baby boomer generation and the recent emphasis and focus on health, the natural and organic consumer base has grown tremendously over the last several years. The skin care industry has seen tremendous changes as consumers become more educated, conscious and aware. The importance of brand names and brand loyalty is diminishing as more emphasis is placed on the ingredients used in the product rather than the name on the label.
So what makes a good skin care product in the eyes of today's conscious/educated shoppers? When looking for a face cream, what should one be looking for?
There is a big key word that you are seeing pop up again and again in health food circles, nutritionist's and even doctor's offices - Antioxidants! A good deal of recent research into aging, disease and general health have shown that having a diet high in antioxidants is one of the crucial elements to maintaining your health. Certain antioxidants in plant products such as green tea have actually been shown to reduce the methylation of genes responsible for fighting cancers (the methylation of a gene inhibits the expression of that gene, regardless of its presence.....but that's a whole another article).
Recent studies have found that by far the most effective way to utilize these anti-aging antioxidants to the benefit of your skin is to apply them topically in skin care products such as face creams, serums and so forth.
Whether the product you are about to purchase is a natural product is another consideration for health conscious consumers. There are a number of great natural skin care products available online and at local health food stores. The problem with not going all natural is that many of the unnatural products will have nasty stabilizers and preservatives in them that can actually do more harm to your skin than good. It's also very important to make sure that your facial sunscreen is natural and completely free of parabens (which have recently been linked to cancer).
When looking for a good face cream or facial skin care product, remember two words - Natural & Antioxidants. In remembering these two words you will ensure your skin care products are helping strengthen the health and overall well being of your skin rather than vice versa.