You can't deny the simple fact that we will all, at one time or another, have to face the common signs of aging, however, this shouldn't be cause for concern. Aging doesn't mean you have to give up on life or feel less attractive in the process. In fact, skin care companies have seen the need for a special type of product catered to aging skin care needs.

Skin care creams for maturing skin should be gentle. A good choice for mature skin is the use of natural skin care products, however, you should be very careful when choosing a natural skin cream because some products contain ingredients that aren't always considered gentle or soothing.

For instance, the skin care industry believes that petroleum based ingredients are natural substances. This may be so, but no one wants to put petroleum on their skin right? Let's take a look at other ingredients that you should avoid, especially when looking for face creams.

The most important ingredient to avoid is alcohol in all of its forms except cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates skin and can cause irritation. Make sure that the product you choose does not contain alcohol in its first five ingredients.

Parabens are another ingredient that should be banned from natural skin creams. Although they serve an important purpose such as suppressing microbial formation in creams, parabens have been linked to irritation and cancer.

Other carcinogenic products you may want to avoid are acryl amide, polyethylene glycol, and dioxine. Synthetic colors and fragrances are more problematic still. Besides being considered carcinogenic, they can also alter hormone levels.

A very common ingredient found in several skin care products is phenol carbolic acid. It is an antiseptic and disinfectant. However, continual use can lead to irritation or dermatitis.

Stearalkonium chloride is used in creams for its conditioning properties. This ingredient is known to cause skin and eye irritation. It is not advisable to use it for prolonged periods of time.

Vital Ingredients found in Face Creams

There are a few very special ingredients that you should look for in all skin care products, and if at all possible, prefer them over products that don't contain these ingredients.

Rose hip seed oil has been used for centuries to treat dry skin, eczema, scar tissue, and even stretch marks and is currently considered to be one of the best natural moisturizers around.

Licorice root extract is a very soothing natural ingredient that, oftentimes, appears listed as glycyrrhizin on the product labels. If it concerns you to use this, or any other natural product on your skin, you should do a patch test before trying it on your face.