Discover What the Skin Care Industry Isn't Telling You!

Mineral oil is found in 100's of products I have researched. It may be listed as liquid paraffin, paraffin wax or petrolatum on the label of the product. It doesn't matter what they call it, it is bad for your skin. Companies use mineral oil for one simple reason: it's cheap!

After just one application of a product containing mineral oil, your pores will become clogged. You may not realize it, but your skin "breathes" too. Any product containing mineral oil will actually prevent your skin from "breathing" and trap toxins inside.

When this natural process is blocked by thick waxyingredients, pimples form, blackheads multiply and rashes can develop over time.  Your skin starts to feel bumpy and greasy.

If you continue to use the product, your face can become chapped and dry, because your skin stops producing its own oils.  It simply dries out.

This common ingredient in skin care products can actually cause you to look older rather than younger!

Dioxane was originally derived from coconut.  Knowing that, you might think it sounds pretty good, but it is the shell, not the flesh and the compound is now created synthetically and used in a number of skincare products.

The synthetic derivative now used often contains high levels of 1,4-dioxane, which is quickly absorbed through the skin.

The chemical will pass through your pores and quickly enter your blood stream. It is unregulated in most states and countries, but the state of California lists it as a known carcinogen and the attorney general hasbrought several lawsuits against so-called "organic" skin care products thatcontain it.

It is scary to think that people pay top dollar to unknowingly put this stuff on their skin!

Everyone wants to smell nice, but there are literally thousands of different chemicals that can be listed on the label as "fragrance". Many of them contain toxins or known carcinogens.

Skin care products should not contain perfumes or fragrances. If you want to smell nice, stick with a dab of perfume or body spray.

When you apply a skin care product you are massaging it into your face and body, covering a large area of the skin. But when you apply a bit of perfume or body spray this is not the case.

It is important to remember that the skin is porous and anything put on it is quickly absorbed. There is less chemical absorption into the skin when you dab a bit of perfume or cologne.

That is not to say that perfumes and colognes don't also contain undesirable chemicals. I know for a fact that many of them do. But I am realistic enough to know that people want to smell nice and are going to use something.

I believe that a little dab of fragrance here and there is much better than massaging it into a large area of skin while applying a skin care product.

These may be listed on the label as propyl,butyl, methyl or ethyl paraben. In some countries, their use is completely banned, butmany skin care products and moisturizers still contain them.

Parabens act as a preservative, extending the shelf life of creams and lotions. No oneseemed to think about what would happen if you rubbed them into your skin every day.

Several studies have linked the use of parabens to various types of cancer. They are known to hinder the endocrine system, cause allergies and irritation. Read the label and if it`s in there, put it back on the shelf.

Alcohols can be listed as ethyl alcohol, methanol, ethanol, SD alcohol, benzyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol. Each type of alcohol acts differently, but those used in skin care products cause dryness and irritation. They strip the skin of naturally protective oils making it more vulnerable to infection.

Now that we have discussed harmful ingredients to avoid, let's discuss some good ingredients to look for and some ingredients that might sound good, but are actually not.

Before we discuss some specific ingredients, it is important that we understand a little about how the skin ages and what type of product will be effective in reversing the signs of aging.

The main reason the skin starts to sag and/or form wrinkles is that elastin and collagen start to break down. Elastin is a protein that helps the skin stay supple and firm. When your skin is stretched, it is the elastin that returns it to its normal position.

Collagen is a fibrous protein. Collagen is special among proteins because of its great tensile strength providing firmness to the skin.

Over time, our bodies produce less of the proteins collagen and elastin.  Without them, the skin loses its elasticity, starts to sag and form wrinkles. This is why it is important to use ingredients effective at firming skin.

Exposure to the sun also causes changes in collagen fibers thatlead to wrinkles and lines. Air pollution increases the production offree radicals, which further damage collagen fibers.

There are new, well researched compounds that can reverse and prevent this damage. Nutrients for healthy skin that destroy free radicals. There are unique products that your pores will absorb and use to produce new collagen and elastin. When you use skin care products that contain these ingredients, your skin will start to look younger, healthier and more radiant.

When you are choosing a skin care product, it is important that you do not purchase one that is purely cosmetic in nature. There are plenty of skin creams that will fill in the lines while they are on, temporarily giving the appearance of nicer skin, but as soon as you wash them off, reality returns.

In order for a skin firming creamto be truly effective, it must contain ingredients that nourish, nurture and stimulate your body’s ability to heal itself.  If you want to prevent or reduce wrinkles, you want something that increases production of collagen, elastin and new skin cells. If you do this, you will actually reverse the aging of your skin.

Now pay close attention to what I say next, because it is very important. Several manufacturers of expensive products try to deceive the public by including some really good active ingredients.

The problem is that they do not contain enough of the active ingredients to be effective. They contain just a small amount so that they can legally list the ingredient on their label. The best ingredients are expensive, and as I mentioned before, most manufacturers spend the majority of their money on marketing.

So, it is not enough to look for the ingredients mentioned below, they must be high up on the list of ingredients. Look for the highest concentration that you can find.

This is a cutting edge substance recently developed by a research team in New Zealand. Xtend TK will stimulate the body's production of collagen fibers, because this natural substance can be "used" by the skin to create both collagen and elastin, thereby promoting firmness and elasticity.

With continued use, your face will look younger and healthier. Wrinkles and fine lines will gradually lessen. Xtend TK actually allows your skin to repair itself just as it did when you were a small child.

This ingredient also helps your skin retain much needed moisture. Clinical research has shown a 14% improvement in moisture and a 42% increase in elasticity when Xtend TK was applied for 18 consecutive days.

Phytessence Wakame is an exotic kelp that has been used for hundreds of years in Japan, both as a food source and to promote younger healthier skin. The reason it is healthy as a food, is due to the vitamins and minerals that it contains. But, why is it good for your skin?

Researchers have learned that this specific type of sea kelp blocks an enzymatic reaction that breaks down another of your skin`s natural proteins. This one is called hyaluronic acid. Wow, that`s a mouthful to be sure, but a simple way to look at is this. It binds collagen and elastin fibers together, so that skin is firmer.

Collagen, as an ingredient, should really be back up there with the things to avoid. Collagen when applied topically doesn`t do anything for your skin. The molecules are much too large to be absorbed into the skin.

You may have heard of expensive collagen injections and when it is mentioned as an ingredient in a skin care product it makes you think, "Great! That should work." When injected, collagen merely fattens up the lowest layers of your skin and "stretches" out the wrinkles. When your rub it on your face, it does absolutely nothing.

Once again, you want to encourage and support your body`s natural ability to produce "new" collagen.

Now let`s finally get to the really good stuff.

Hyaluronic acid is sometimes referred to as Hyaluronan. Its importance in repairing and replacing damaged skin cells is well documented.

You may recognize CoQ10 as a health supplement often referred to as Coenzyme Q10. You will frequently see it listed in the ingredients of some of the better skin care products.

CoQ10 is a vitamin like substance that is found in every cell of the body and in high levels in the cells of the skin. It is a powerful antioxidant.  An antioxidant is something that destroys free radicals. It is precisely this antioxidant ability that allows CoQ10 to counter free radicals before they damage the skin.

Unfortunately, as with collagen and elastin, the levels of CoQ10 in our bodies decrease with age. Exposure to UV radiation from the sun quickly depletes COQ10 levels in the skin.

The problem that most developers have run into is that lotions containing the CoQ10 are not readily absorbed through the pores and do not penetrate deep into the skin. Not to worry, there is a form of CoQ10 that does penetrate deeply into the skin. It is Nano-Lipobelle H-EQ10.

This is a 'nano-emulsion' (that`s like a combination) of COQ10 and vitamin E that was created using a patented process that grinds the antioxidants down to a microscopic size that can easily enter the pores and penetrate all 7 layers of skin, absorbing free radicals as it goes.

Where can you find all three of these ingredients in a single skin care product line?

At the Xtend-Life Natural Products company, that's where. They are located in New Zealand but they ship their products worldwide. I know because I use them every day.

You have probably never heard of the company. That's because they don't spend their money on expensive advertising and celebrity endorsements. They prefer to spend their budget on bringing you the best skin care products that money can buy.

While developing their skin care line, the company paid for the research and development and gave researchers no upper budget limit.  They wanted the safest, most effective ingredients that money could buy.

I have used their health supplements for years and tried their skin care products as soon as they became available.  And let me tell you, I have noticed a significant difference.  My skin never felt so good.

The company`s philosophy has always been to keep the customer`s health in mind. It is their top priority. Click here to visit their website.