Sign in to wowOwow

Enter the email address that you used when registering at wowOwow.
The password field is case sensitive. Click here if you have forgotten your password.

Please register for wowOwow

Newsletter subscriptions
Sign up to receive wowOwow's weekly newsletter and get our best picks delivered right to your inbox. Our newsletter content is hand-picked by the wowOwow editorial team and provides the top features, news, and commentary from our site. Subscribing to our newsletter is free and safe. We will never share your email or other information with a third-party without your direct consent.
By registering, you indicate that you have read and agree
with our privacy policy and terms of service.
6 replies [Last post]
User offline. Last seen 18 weeks 3 days ago. Offline
Joined: 07/15/2009
I have heard that you should start using anti-wrinkle cream even before wrinkles begin to appear as a preventative measure. Is this true?

6 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Lancaster Beauty Expert

It is never too early to start taking care of your skin propely.  Anti aging treatments are a gre preventative tool as well as a corrective tool.

By Lancaster Beauty Expert on 07/15/2009 11:07 am
Julie Gu
I agree, I’ve been using them since I was young and women should ALWAYS cleanse their face at night and moisturize before bedtime. That’s the best advice I’ve ever heard. Who wants to go to sleep covered in all the dirt and grease that your skin has collected throughout the day!
By Julie Gu on 07/15/2009 11:32 am
Cassie OMalley
Yeah but if you start too early is it possible for your skin to become immune and not work when you need it?
By Cassie OMalley on 07/15/2009 11:46 am
Patricia Partin
My mother would have us shower nightly and then rub in a light over all layer of Vaseline when we were children. Now my sisters and I have lovely skin and are often taken for ten or twenty years younger. You don’t need special creams. A good moisturizing soap and Vaseline or a light coating of baby oil works fine.
By Patricia Partin on 07/20/2009 11:25 pm
Catherine Gallagher

There is no such thing as an anti-wrinkle cream.  A wrinkle cream would have to act as a biologic (e.g., increase collagen and elastin in the skin) to be effective; thus, if such a cream existed—and it does not—it would be classified as a drug, not an over the counter beauty product. 

Despite the marketing blather, these creams cannot penetrate your skin.  Your skin is your largest organ and it’s key purpose is to protect your body against pathogens—keep things out, including those skin creams the cosmetic companies claim penetrate and change the structure of your skin.  Simply not true.

Wrinkles are caused by a variety of factors included reduced production of collagen and elastin; slower cell renewal rate; reduced blood flow; loss of subcutanous tissue (the layer under the dermis which is mainly fat) sun damage, and other factors like smoking, and alcohol and drug abuse.  No cream is going to stop the natural aging process.

The only wrinkling factors you can control are:

Sun damage: wear sunblock, this is the best investment of time and money you can make for your face and body!

Chemical damage: don’t smoke or use drugs;  if you drink alcohol, do so in moderation. 

Exfoliate your skin to encourage skin renewal; however, this only goes so far—if it’s in your genetic make-up to wrinkle, you are going to wrinkle.

I’m 50 and look 15 years younger.  I don’t even have crow;s feet.  But my mom had very smooth skin and was only about 50% gray when she died at age 72.  By contrast, I met a woman the other day at my doctor’s office who is 46 years old; before she told me how old she was I though she was about 65 years old!

If anti-wrinkle creams worked, there would be no face lifts; no botox; no injectable dermal fillers (Restylane, Perlane, Juvederm, etc); no dermabrasion; no chemical peels; no laser resurfacing; and no fat implants.  Dermatologists would be treating medical patients with skin disorders and diseases instead of running "medical spas" catering to the botox and dermal filler frozen faced, puffed lip crowd. 

Think about…if wrinkle creams worked, how come everyone still has wrinkles and how come doctors are making billions selling botox, fillers, and other plastic surgeries?

Save your money—

By Catherine Gallagher on 07/28/2009 2:49 am
Teri Cosenzi
As early as you feel a bit of "extra" help is needed, I would start using a hydrating moisturizer, one with some great vitamins such as C & E and some great antioxidants. The best prevention against winkles is to avoid the sun, stay hydrated both inside and out (with moisturizers), don’t smoke, and get enough beauty sleep.
By Teri Cosenzi on 07/31/2009 11:05 am