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The aging process will take its toll on our whole body and our skin is generally the first place we notice this change. As a matter of fact, the aging process not only increases the appearance of wrinkles and ages spots, but it also makes our skin more fragile and 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 like propylene glycol and petrolatum are considered natural because they are by-products of petroleum. Nevertheless, they can be irritating to mature skin. Here is a list of products that you should avoid if you want to use the most natural products.

Ingredients that should not be found in 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 harmful ingredient that you can find in many 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 can cause inflammation. They are widely used in skin products because they are inexpensive.

Synthetic colors and unnatural fragrances are usually known as coal-tars that can lead to cancer. Synthetic fragrances have been known to alter hormonal production. So when looking for a product make sure that you always look for products that are fragrance free and not products that are unscented. Fragrance-free products are preferable because those that are unscented use other components to mask the smell of the product's ingredients.

Must-Have Skin Care Ingredients

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 oil has been known to help treat dry skin and scar tissues. It has a low viscosity, which allows it to absorb quickly into the skin. This makes it possible to apply this ingredient in its oil form or in skin care products.

Rose hip seed oil is another natural oil that 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 concerned about irritation or allergic reactions, make sure that you do a patch test before trying it on your face.