When your Mom was going through menopause pretty much all she had to counter the effects of aging skin was a jar of cold cream and a frosted mirror! Not so today. Over the past decade, and particularly in the last five years, anti-aging skin care has exploded, as the lines between medicine and cosmetology have been significantly blurred.

At the same time, even one trip down the beauty aisle of your favorite pharmarcy or department store can leave in you some kind of Vogue-induced catatonic state - you simply don't know what to buy!

The good news is, while products abound, you can boil your choices down to a few key ingredients which studies show can make a major difference in the way your skin looks and feels - sometimes as quickly as two weeks!

To help get you started here's a look at five of the top age-defying ingredients. So, check your product labels - and get ready to look too fabulous for words!

The Top 5 Age-Defying Ingredients

1. Retinol/ Retinyl Palmitate/Vitamin A Not 'fresh picked brand new', but never the less hot as a pistol is retinol, inarguably the most clinically researched anti-aging ingredient available today. It's most outstanding feature: It penetrates deep into all three layers of skin to stimulate collagen - the substance which keeps skin youthful. Use it daily and see outstanding results in a month or less. Products to try: Serious Skin Care A-Force Vitamin A Serum with Retinol; DDF Energizing Retinol Serum

2 Peptides These tiny little molicules - the building blocks of protein - are hot, hot, hot when

it comes to turning back the hands of time. While a number of different companies feature peptide formulations, among the most popular is "Palmitoyl pentapeptide-3 - one of the most exciting anti-aging technology. The reason: Experts say it can do what no other compound could before - Instruct the body to make more collagen wherever the cream is applied! Try it and see plumper, firmer skin in two weeks. Products to try: Olay Regenerist Serum, Regenerist Night Cream, Regenerist Eye cream; DDF Cellular Revitalization Age Renewal Cream;

3. Green Tea The secret lies in a compound known as epigallocathechin or EGCG - which has been shown to be 100 times more powerful than Vitamin C and 25 times more powerful than Vitamin E in finding and destroying free radicals. These are the nasty compounds that occur during sun exposure and gobble up collagen and elastin. On the skin's surface, green tea may stop the aging process by holding a reserve of protective antioxidants in cells, and protect against UV damage of the sun. Products to try: Replenix CF Serum, Replenix CF Cream, Paula Dorf Primrose and Green Tea Night Cream.

4. Argireline You may not know the chemical name, but there's no doubt you've heard the buzz about argireline (pronounced ar-ju-LEAN), another peptide complex touted as the Anti-Botox. It's also a way to get some wrinkle-reducing results without injections. While it won't be as dramatic as Botox, it works in a similar way - gradually relaxing the muscles underneath the wrinkle, so lines seem to disappear. Clinical trials show a 30% reduction in wrinkles in 30 days! And

the longer you use it, the better the results! Products to try: Principal Secret's Reclaim Line by Victoria Principal; Adrien Arpel's Signature Club A Non Toxic Silicone Plus Night Formula; DDF Wrinkle Relax (highest concentration).

5.Vitamin C It may sound old fashioned but the results are decidedly new age - and very anti-aging. The reason: Vitamin C helps rebuild collagen in the skin - and that means a plumper, less wrinkly complexion. The key lies in two factors. First, only the L-Asorbic Acid form of vitamin C was shown in clinical trials to penetrate deep enough into the skin to enact change. Second- because vitamin C degrades quickly once it hits the air, so look for products in sealed bottles (with an air-tight pump) or better still, individual single use topical capsules. See results in about 30 days - optimum in about 90 days. Products to try: Adrien Arpel's Signature Club A Vitamin C Capsules from Home Shopping Network; Avon's Anew Vitamin C Serum.



To learn more about the anti aging ingredients that really work visit http://www.YourMenopause.com or http://www.HotFlashMall.com



About the author:

Colette Bouchez is the author of Your Perfectly Pampered Menopause: Health, Beauty and Lifestyle Advice for the Best Years of Your Life (Broadway Books, NY) and the creator of Http://www.YourMenopause.com and http://www.HotFlashMall.com

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