Peoples’ preoccupation with anti-ageing skin care products that claim to make you look younger is not surprising; there is nothing wrong with wanting to continue looking young as you get older, in fact it is quite a healthy aim. This group of beauty products generally works by enabling the synthesis of collagen, the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant in our body; almost 25 percent of the protein in skin is actually collagen. Collagen is related to other natural substances which help to slow down the ageing process; known as antioxidants, they are the body’s method of slowing down the ageing process.

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 problem with vitamin C derived skin care treatments is they can become oxidized when exposed to the atmosphere, often even before they are used.

To overcome this problem, manufacturers use alternative skin care treatments that still provide the same benefits but not the high manufacturing costs. These alternative products are not as effective as vitamin C but vitamin E and lipoic acid are anti-oxidants and are now being used.

The body uses vitamin E as an antioxidant and to increase the natural defense we have against sickness; it has been linked to resistance to a number of conditions including certain types of cancer. Another of these is lipoic acid which is found in every cell of our body to help generate energy for us to live; it can help reverse much of the damage caused to the skin by ageing.

Phytochemicals aren’t produced by the body but are extracted from a number of plants and used in many anti-ageing skin care products to combat the signs of ageing. A further benefit of these phytochemicals is their ability to prevent the onset of certain cancers; for example:

* Prostate Cancer

* Breast Cancer in Women (and occasionally men)

* Cancer of the Colon

These three types of cancer are also becoming a global problem.

It has also been discovered that there are anti-ageing benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. Although the area of anti-ageing skin care products is huge, more is being learnt about the whole ageing process and about natural products that can reduce the effects it has on our bodies as well as our skin. Although current regimes are quite effective, there are many ways to combat the effects of time; there is still a long way to go however, before methods that successfully reduce the effects of age are commonplace.

Hopefully, these challenges will get resolved in due course and better and cheaper anti-ageing skin care products will be produced. However, man-made skin care regimes should be used only as a supplement; we must not forget however, that there are many more natural methods we can all use to reduce the signs of aging on a regular basis. Regular sleep patterns, exercise, a good healthy diet and less stress will all contribute to reducing the signs of ageing, for instance!

Beneath the skin are a large number of fat cells that form those orange peel type effects everyone knows as cellulite; most areas of the body can experience its effects but sufferers mainly have it below the abdomen. Although additional fat is normal in women, this is not just a problem exclusive to overweight women; women who are naturally slim can also suffer with this unsightly problem.

You see as the collection of fats push against the connective tissue, it tends to cause the surface of the skin to dimple or pucker and visually look lumpy; giving you what is referred to as cellulite. The real cause of is unknown so is the reasons why some women are more prone to suffering with it than others but scientists believe that it could be due to the way the cells are structured beneath the skin of each individual.

One thing is certain though and that is as a persons age increases, the amount of this fatty tissue increases in the same way that wrinkles also form which is probably due to the reduction of the two components that keep the skin looking young; collagen and elastin. Whilst many would disagree, this condition is often referred to a hormone imbalance problem as men almost never have this happen to them.

The presence of cellulite is not always prominent, unless one tries to pinch the upper skin of one’s thigh; should it feel lumpy then you most certainly have it but a woman should not feel bad about having it, since most have this condition to a certain degree. Although it may not be known what causes, some factors seem to contribute to its build up including age, sex, extra fat carried and skin thickness all seem to aid the formation.

As medical science cannot prove conclusively what causes the problem, it makes it difficult creating a cure even though a number have been tried including special burning creams. Where cellulite removal massage is offered at a clinic, all that is done is deep tissue massage which just masks the affect so it cannot be seen as readily.

Liposuction has now started to be used to try and remove the fat cells and even by injecting drugs directly into the affected sacks directly. The problem with liposuction is not really the correct therapy for removing this type of fat but is for deeper fats, not those stuck in connective tissue, so it cannot claim to be a best treatment for cellulite.

A number of cosmetic manufacturers claim their creams are an effective method of removing the fat cells but it would seem these are just a method of masking the condition making it less visible and so far no definitive treatment exists. Many people believe that the only realistic way to reduce the amount of fatty tissue a person has is to follow a controlled diet plan and exercise regularly which will gradually burn off much of the body fat including that found in the tissues of the thighs and buttocks.

Many of the toxins that aid cellulite formation in the cells can be removed by drinking plenty of water every day not to mention the other health benefits of drinking water which include weight reduction.