Do collagen and elastin products work as they claim to? Anyone that asks that question is being skeptical and that's a good thing for a consumer to be.
You might know that cosmetic companies can make advertising claims without any evidence to back them up.
You might also know that they are not required to prove that the ingredients they use are safe.
They are allowed to include known allergens, irritants, toxins and even poisons.
You often see this warning label: "Call the nearest poison control center in the event of accidental ingestion.
" Why would people use something on their skin that isn't safe enough to eat or things that we don't normally eat? Collagens and elastins are derived from cow or pig skin.
We don't eat those.
Sometimes they are derived from plants, which we do eat.
But, even though they may be safe enough, that doesn't mean they are effective.
Do collagen and elastin products work to improve the skin's firmness? That's one of the things that many of us would like to do; see a firmer neck line.
There is no reason to believe that creams containing those proteins would improve firmness.
There are, however, clinical studies proving that another active protein works very well.
Collagens and elastins are located in the deep dermis layer of the skin.
The layers that we see are composed entirely of keratinized cells.
Keratin is a protein that is found in varying amounts throughout the human body.
95% of the cells in the outer four to five layers (the epidermis) are keratinized cells.
Keratins are abundant in nature, but it has been difficult to find a process that made it water soluble, so that it could be used in creams and lotions.
Recently, the KERATEC Company in New Zealand found a way to isolate and extract the protein from sheep's wool.
Using patented processes, they were able to make it soluble, without destroying the functionality of the protein.
In clinical studies, it has been shown to increase the skin's firmness by as much as 42% in less than three weeks.
Do collagen and elastin products work to stimulate the production of new cells and fibers? No, but the active keratin creams do.
The increase noted by researchers was as high as 160% after only three days.
Do collagen and elastin products work to increase the skin's moisture content? The other ingredients in the product might increase the skin's moisture content, depending on what they are.
Glycerin, for example, provides a slight increase in moisture levels.
Petrolatum does not.
It merely sits on top of the skin, blocking the pores.
Natural vegetable oils like grape seed and olive are some of the best moisturizers that we can use.
They are very similar to the skin's own sebum, the oil produced by the sebaceous glands.
The best creams contain some of those oils, along with the active keratin.
Do collagen and elastin products work to do anything? Judging by the research that I have done, there are better alternatives.
Visit my website today to learn more about a clinically proven natural substance like Functional Keratin, largely unknown in the Western world, and gain an advantage over others to get the results you want - younger looking skin.
Because when it comes to aging skin care treatments you don't have to settle for the ones that don't work.
Your skin will thank you for this move.