Anti Aging Wrinkle Cream Options: Prescription or OTC
In searching for the best anti aging wrinkle cream, you will need to consider a lot of things in deciding if a certain product or program is right for you. The most important consideration naturally would be whether the product is effective in treating wrinkles.
There are two general types of anti wrinkle cream products: the prescription variety and the over-the-counter (OTC) variety. There are more OTC anti wrinkle products out there than there are prescription anti wrinkle products because most of them are classified as cosmetics and are considered to have no medicinal value.
This is the reason why most anti wrinkle treatment out there are unchecked by regulatory bodies like the US FDA in terms of efficacy (although they did approve tretinoin in 1995 for use in treating wrinkles).
Are prescription creams more effective than OTC ones?
Many believe that they are but since no extensive clinical studies are being done on most OTC skin wrinkle cream products, there is really no way to confirm this right now. Clinical trials on cosmetic products are very rare but there have been some high profile trials have made the news lately and they are showing some evidence that at least some OTC products are indeed the real thing and may actually work as claimed by their manufacturers.
This perhaps is due to the fact that components of these products are usually thought to be effective against the known causes of premature aging and wrinkles.
Moisturizers, sunscreen and collagen skin treatments are believed to be good against countering the effects of the harmful UV rays of the sun on the collagen content of the skin.
Antioxidants and vitamin creams are believed to help us eliminate free radicals which also affect cellular regeneration and natural collagen production.
Hydroxy acids are known to be good exfoliants that help the skin shed dead skin cells and stimulate the creating for fresh ones.
While prescription wrinkle treatments may be a better way to go, there are evidence that OTC products may be worth a closer look because the principle behind their treatment claims are based on well-accepted facts. All they lack are the comprehensive scientific trials to back them up (though some of them are doing this already).