Turn on your television on any given afternoon and you may hear Oprah touting 50 as the new 40 or Rachel Ray declaring 40 is the new 30. Stand in any grocery store check-out line and, more than any other year in recent memory, magazines are celebrating the youthful, sexy look of a whole new generation of starlets who turned 40 this year.
Most average 40 and 50 (and even 30) yr olds are complaining that it's too easy for the rich to look young with the money they can slap down on their favorite plastic surgeon's desk. What are the rest of us, with smaller pocket books to do when these unrealistic images are on the cover of every magazine, billboard, and television commercial? The only thing we can do - hit the cosmetic counter at the nearest mall and hope for the best as we try to understand labeling, packaging and hype.

What we really want to know is do anti-wrinkle creams really work? The answer to that question can be found in the research done by Dr. Chris Griffith, Professor of Dermatology and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Manchester. He found that the effects of damaged skin could indeed be reversed or repaired with some cosmetic creams. So, how do these creams work?

· Most wrinkle creams hydrate the skin. This is essential to reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. As skin absorbs moisture it plumps the skin (think raisin/grape), instantly making it look fresher and smoother.
· Most anti-aging creams contain antioxidants. Antioxidants neutralize free radicals that damage the skin.

Note: the two main villains, i.e., causes of free radicals are UV rays from the sun and smoking. These two culprits cause skin damaging free radicals to attack collagen, which is necessary for youthful, supple looking skin.

· Some wrinkle creams contain nanoprism type ingredients that reflect light, giving the illusion of fewer wrinkles.
· The ingredient Vitamin C speeds the healing process in skin and protects it from damage.

Which anti-wrinkle cream is best? To understand which cream is the best you need to understand why some creams aren't. For instance, many creams contain alcohol, which may give the sensation of instant tightening of the skin when your skin is actually drying and pulling taut. The truth is that this is extremely harmful for your skin and will eventually cause more wrinkles than it eliminates.