Before I get to the best anti-aging skin creams, let me tell you about the worst. I recently evaluated the ingredients in a supposedly natural and organic anti-aging skin cream. What I found was surprising.

In my opinion the best anti-aging skin creams should be effective and safe. Those are the two primary concerns. I think anyone would agree. After all, you are rubbing this compound on your face every day.

Many of the ingredients are absorbed through the pores and enter the bloodstream. This has been proven, but public safety groups cannot get the cosmetic companies to accept the fact, nor can they get Congress to create new laws that would force them to accept it.

So, that’s why I was evaluating an organic anti-aging skin cream. One of the primary ingredients was the new Botox alternative that paralyzes the muscles, in order to reduce the depth of wrinkles and lines on the face and forehead.

Even though it is advertised as a “natural” anti-aging skin cream (it even has a picture of a leaf on the box, to suggest how close to nature it is), the primary ingredient is a synthetic protein peptide that is simply based on natural proteins.

There are natural protein peptides, such as Functional Keratin and the best anti-aging skin creams include them, but not because they paralyze the muscles. There is no way for us to know if that is a safe idea for our long term health.

The natural protein peptides support the body’s ability to repair damage. Functional Keratin, for example, has been shown to increase skin-cell proliferation and increase production of collagen and elastin.

It is the loss of collagen and elastin that causes skin to sag. When we increase the firmness, we smooth out wrinkles and fine lines. But, the Botox alternative was not the biggest problem that I found with the “other” anti-aging skin cream.

The biggest problem was that it contained three ingredients that when combined can produce benzene, a known carcinogen. Benzene can definitely be absorbed through the skin’s pores and enter the blood stream.

A lot is known about the chemical because it was an element in many work-related illnesses. The best anti-aging skin creams do not contain chemical compounds like these. There is simply no reason for it.

Nature has provided us with everything that we need for healthier and younger looking faces. Take kelp, for example.

An anti-aging skin cream that contains an extract from wakame kelp increases the level of proteins in the epidermis by inhibiting an enzymatic process that breaks them down. Clinical research has shown that it increases skin’s elasticity, reduces dark circles under the eyes and fades wrinkles by improving smoothness and tone.

The epidermis does not have blood vessels. It receives its nourishment from the dermis and the process slows down with age. So, by applying the nutrients topically, your face can again look younger and brighter. Wrinkles will fade and firmness will return.

The best anti-aging skin creams provide the nourishment that the epidermis needs. They are both safe and effective, so they fit my criteria. Take the time to look for them, right now.