Don't Buy Prescription Wrinkle Cream

You really don't want to buy a prescription wrinkle cream. The only thing approved by the US Food and Drug Administration is Retin-A. There may be other creams available in other countries, but Retin-A is not worth the money and it can do more harm than good.

It was originally developed as an acne treatment, but was approved for use against wrinkles in 2003. The negative side effects were the same as those seen in acne patients. It causes redness, dryness, irritation and flaking. It just doesn't make sense to use something that makes you look worse, in order to look better.

Retin-A is a synthetic form of retinol or vitamin A. Vitamin A is important to the skin's health in many ways. Low blood levels of vitamin A are seen in people with acne, as are low levels of vitamin E. Deficiency in either of those vitamins causes excessive dryness and flaking. Vitamin C is also important to the skin's health, because it is a necessary cofactor in the formation of collagen fibers.

So, instead of investing in a prescription wrinkle cream, you could just buy a good multi-vitamin. When it comes to moisturizers to use on a regular basis, natural vitamin E does not cause irritation. The vitamin A that is present in plant extracts doesn't either. Vitamin C nearly always causes irritation, because it is a mild acid. Other nutrients can significantly improve the skin's appearance in a relatively short period of time. Coenzyme Q10 is an example.

Coenzyme Q10 is a "vitamin-like" substance present in every cell of the body. The amount present in the skin's cells is quickly depleted during sun exposure and levels are much lower in older skin than in younger skin.

There may at some point be a prescription wrinkle cream that contains a synthetic version of coenzyme Q10, because research has shown that this nutrient is effective for repairing sun damage, reducing wrinkles, improving hydration and reducing roughness.

Over the counter creams containing the natural form of coenzyme Q10 are already available. Some of the better ones also contain the protein keratin.

It takes a little research to find the active form of the protein keratin. Most of the products on the market contain a denaturalized form. But, creams that contain the active type have been shown to increase skin cell production, reduce inflammation, improve antioxidant status, increase hydration and increase firmness.