It’s no secret that non-prescription skincare product ingredients are not extensively regulated. For anyone who has searched for a wrinkle cream or acne product, you know how disappointing each new trial can be. All wrinkle treatment products claim revolutionary results that will take years, even decades, off your appearance. But the hard reality is that very few of these wrinkle creams actually deliver on their promises. The worst part is that most of these skincare product companies know that they are scamming you with lavish promises they cannot deliver on.

Some wrinkle creams are relatively effective at diminishing the appearance of wrinkles, but many of the creams on the market take shortcuts to save money, shortcuts that make the cream less effective or even make it harmful to your skin. In this article, I want to look at a few of the common scams in the non-prescription wrinkle cream market.

Scam #1: Products the contain collagen. This sounds great, right? After all, dermatologists and other experts are always telling us how collagen is what keeps our skin smooth and firm. But the truth is that collagen molecules are too big to be absorbed through the skin. A product that claims to contain actual collagen to plump up the wrinkles in your skin is selling you a product on false pretenses. There are, however, ingredients frequently used in wrinkle creams that have been proven to stimulate the production of collagen. If a wrinkle treatment product contains natural ingredients that help stimulate collagen production or strengthen the bonds between collagen and elastin fibers, it may actually be effective.

Scam #2: Quantity of active ingredients. Another scam companies use to ensure maximum profit is including ingredients on their labels that are found in such small amounts in the product that they are essentially useless. Just because a wrinkle cream contains ingredients you know have shown positive effects in reducing the appearance of wrinkles does not mean there is enough of that ingredient in the cream to be effective. If your wrinkle cream is not producing results, you may want to research the ingredients and amounts used in the product.

Scam #3: Preservatives. A big money-saver for wrinkle cream companies is the shelf life of a product. No beauty product company wants to spend money making a product that has a quick expiration date. What those companies won’t tell you is that some of the ingredients used as preservatives to extend the products shelf life, such as parabens, may actually diminish the effectiveness of the active ingredients. Many of these preservatives, like parabens, have not shown any conclusive harmful side effects, but beware that they are a company’s way of cutting costs.

Scam #4: Harmful ingredients. There are some controversial ingredients that have proven clinically effective at treating wrinkles. Because of the results these ingredients offer, some wrinkle creams companies overlook the side effects. A major example of this is the compound dioxane. Dioxane is found in several wrinkle treatment products, but it is widely linked to cancer and considered carcinogenic.

To avoid scams when shopping for a wrinkle cream, look for products that have skin-nourishing natural ingredients and proven results. Products containing antioxidants and collagen stimulators tend to be the most effective. Doing research can go a long way in avoiding scams and choosing the right wrinkle cream. It may save your wallet and your skin.

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