The aging process takes its toll on our whole body. Our skin is, perhaps, the first place we notice it. In fact, the aging process doesn't just increase the appearance of wrinkles and ages spots, it also makes our skin thinner and more brittle.

This is why you should use gentle skin care creams for maturing skin. 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.

Ingredients such as petrolatum and propylene glycol are by-products of petroleum and are, therefore, considered natural. However, they can be irritating to mature skin. Here are other products that you should avoid if you want to use the most natural products.

Ingredients that Shouldn't be Contained in Face Creams

One of the ingredients you should try to avoid is alcohol in all of its forms except cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates skin and is also known to cause irritation. That is why if you do find yourself buying a product that contains this ingredient, make sure that it isn't among the first five ingredients.

Parabens are another ingredient that should be banned from natural skin creams. Even though they serve an important purpose (suppressing microbial formation in creams), parabens have been linked to irritation. They have also been linked to more severe problems such as cancer.

Another ingredient to avoid are ureas. Both imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea are inexpensive and used in several skin care products, however, they can cause inflammation in some people.

Synthetic colors and unnatural fragrances are usually known as coal-tars that can lead to cancer. Synthetic fragrances can also alter hormonal production which means you should always look for products that are fragrance-free and not unscented. Don't be fooled by products saying that they are unscented because this only means that they have used other components to mask the smell of the product's ingredients.

Ingredients you DO want in Your Skin Care Cream

There are also some ingredients that you should look for in your skin care products. Not all products contain them, but try to use those that do, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Rose hip oil has been known to help treat dry skin and scar tissues. It is a very gentle ingredient that can be used in its oil form or in skin care products, and what's best is that it has a low viscosity, which allows it to absorb quickly into the skin.

Another wondrous natural oil is rose hip seed oil. It helps soothe irritated skin and helps moisturize dry skin. As a matter of fact, rose hip oil is an excellent ingredient in any skin cream for aging skin.

Licorice root extract is a very soothing ingredient. It may appear as glycyrrhizin on the product labels. If you are worried that this ingredient may cause irritation or produce allergic reactions, then you should do a patch test before trying it on your face.