The Untold Truth About a Prescription Wrinkle Cream

If you live in the US, there is only one FDA approved prescription wrinkle cream. There are many different brand names for it, including Retin-A. The generic name is tretinoin. It is actually a synthetic form of The antioxidant retinol or vitamin A.

The side effects of tretinoin include:

1. Increased sensitivity to sunlight

2. Itching

3. Burning

4. Redness

5. Rashes

6. Flaking

It should not be used by women that are pregnant or could become pregnant, because it could cause birth defects. Retinol in large quantities is toxic. It can actually cause death if too much is ingested over a short period of time. The body can't get rid of it.

Beta-carotene, which is found in a variety of vegetables and other plant foods, is used by the body to make its own vitamin A. It is non-toxic. Extracts from plants containing beta-carotene may be just as effective as tretinoin, without causing any of the side effects. It all has to do with the cream's antioxidant activity.

The research is not clear about why the prescription wrinkle cream called tretinoin works. But, there is a growing mountain of evidence concerning the positive effects of other antioxidants.

Dermatologists have discovered that the skin's cells contain more free radical molecules as people get older. They have also found that the production of antioxidants called glutathione and superoxide dismutase decreases with age, as well. Those are two of the skin's most powerful defenders.

While there are no creams containing those antioxidants, there are creams that contain an ingredient that has been shown to stimulate their production. That ingredient is called Functional Keratin.

Functional Keratin is not a prescription wrinkle cream. It was developed by a company in New Zealand, using a number of patented processes. The protein keratin was gently extracted from sheep's wool and softened, without destroying the protein's function. That's very exciting. No company has been able to do it before.

Keratin is one of the skin's protein building blocks. In clinical trials, researchers have seen as much as a 160% increase in new skin cells after only three days of use. All of those new cells get busy pumping out new antioxidants and the result is increased firmness and a reduction in wrinkling after just a few weeks.

Another topical compound that has been well researched is coenzyme Q10. There may soon be a prescription wrinkle cream containing a synthetic form of that antioxidant, too. But, already we have creams that contain natural coenzyme Q10 combined with vitamin E, another antioxidant that is very important to the skin's health and appearance.

As time goes by, researchers are likely to discover other antioxidant-rich creams that help reverse wrinkling and sagging. But, dermatologists will advise, as they do now, that the best results are seen when people also make an effort to avoid the sun. It causes more wrinkles than anything else.

So, actually, you don't need a prescription wrinkle cream. You just need to look for one that contains functional keratin and coenzyme Q10.

You can learn more amazing skin care insights by visiting my web site and discovering more natural ingredients I personally use daily.