It is quite normal to expect people to want to look attractive and this might explain why anti-ageing skin care products are so successful; the growth in popularity is due in no small part to the fact that we are all living and working longer. This group of beauty products generally works by enabling the synthesis of collagen, the main protein of connective tissue in animals and the most abundant in our body; collagen makes up approximately 25 percent of the total protein in the skin. Most anti-ageing products (collagen included) fall into a category of natural everyday products we all use; called antioxidants, they help flush out toxins from the body and help reduce the signs of aging.

Vitamin C is probably one of the better known anti-oxidants in use today but the debate about the daily quota required is ongoing. Skin care treatments that are based on vitamin C, pose the problem of becoming oxidized themselves as they come into contact with air during their usage.

More stable skin care treatments are now available that are almost as efficient and actually cost less to manufacture. These new anti-oxidant products are not quite as good as vitamin C although other naturally occurring compounds, vitamin E and lipoic acid can achieve the same effect.

The body uses vitamin E as an antioxidant and to increase the natural defense we have against sickness; it helps build resistance against infection like cancer for example. Lipoic acid is found in every single human cell and helps provide energy; it can also help reduce the aging process which affects the skin.

Other compounds called phytochemicals have proved to be beneficial in the formulation of anti-ageing skin care products; they are removed from various plants. Another benefit of phytochemicals, like those of alpha-lipoic acid, is their ability to reduce the prevalence of certain cancers; for instance:

* Prostate Cancer

* Cancer that attacks the Breast

* Cancer of the Colon

These three types of cancer are also becoming a global problem.

It has also been discovered that there are anti-ageing benefits to vitamins B5, B6 and B12. The use of anti-ageing skin care products is a huge scientific field to research and has far greater potential than just producing goods that reduce the visible signs of age. Gradually, new discoveries will be made to advance our understanding of the aging process; there is still a long way to go however, before methods that successfully reduce the effects of age are commonplace.

There may be many challenges still to overcome but in time scientists believe they will succeed in producing more effective anti-ageing skin care products that are less expensive and available to more people. At the moment though, science is still behind the field of natural anti-aging methods; we must not forget however, that there are many more natural methods we can all use to reduce the signs of aging on a regular basis. Drinking plenty of water, getting a good night’s sleep, exercising regularly, maintaining healthy eating habits and keeping stress at bay are an essential means of delaying the ageing process.

Beneath the skin are a large number of fat cells that form those orange peel type effects everyone knows as cellulite; whilst some areas are more susceptible than others, most sufferers find they are affected in areas below the waist. It would be unfair to say this is a condition exclusive to overweight women because that couldn’t be further from the truth; the cottage cheese appearance so familiar with this condition can affect slim women as well.

Cellulite forms just below the surface of the skin in the thighs and buttocks region, where areas of fat collect and force themselves against the tissue creating a puckered look to the surface of the skin. In reality, nobody knows the real reason why some people accumulate these fats and not others, but there are some factors that health experts are considering such as the structure of the fat cells or toxins that enter the body.

What is certain though is that the older you become the greater the likelihood of this type of cell forming as the elastin and collagen, that help stop aging lines, becomes less effective. Women are more prone to hormonal imbalances as they age and the fat found in their thighs and buttocks where it forms is different to the fat in other areas, unlike men who rarely suffer with this condition.

The presence of cellulite is not always prominent, unless one tries to pinch the upper skin of one’s thigh; should it feel lumpy then you most certainly have it but a woman should not feel bad about having it, since most have this condition to a certain degree. After a great deal of research, certain conditions do help with the formation and retention of the fat cells; the age of the person, their gender, how thick their skin is and the amount of extra fat they carry, all play a part.

One thing for sure is that technology has not as yet devised a miracle potion or treatment that can eradicate it completely. Where cellulite removal massage is offered at a clinic, all that is done is deep tissue massage which just masks the affect so it cannot be seen as readily.

Other treatments involve liposuction (to remove fats) and mesotherapy (injection of drugs into the affected areas) which is expensive and out of reach of the majority of women. Only temporary relief can be gained from both these procedures and liposuction despite its success at removing deep fat from large areas of the body, is not designed for the fats close to the surface as in the case of cellulite.

Whilst the creams that claim to burn the fat deposits away may not be very successful, the latest generation is designed to hide the condition although once again this is a short term answer. Many people believe that the only realistic way to reduce the amount of fatty tissue a person has is to follow a controlled diet plan and exercise regularly which will gradually burn off much of the body fat including that found in the tissues of the thighs and buttocks.

In addition, increasing the intake of water will help cleanse the system and flush out damaging toxins plus smokers should stop smoking or at least reduce it which will also be beneficial as smoking impacts negatively on the capillaries in the skin and reducing stress will help reduce the amount of cellulite.