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The aging process will eventually take its toll on our bodies and it's on our skin that we first notice any real changes. In fact, the aging process not only increases the appearance of wrinkles and ages spots on our face, but it also makes our skin thinner and more brittle.

This is why you should use gentle skin care creams for maturing skin. A good option is the use of natural skin care products, however, it may a little difficult to choose the right, natural skin cream because not all products contain ingredients that can be considered gentle enough or soothing enough for sensitive skin.

Because ingredients such as petrolatum and propylene glycol are by-products of petroleum, they are considered to be natural. However, they can be irritating to mature skin. Here are other products that you should avoid if you want to use the most natural products.

Avoid the Following Ingredients especially in Face Creams

Alcohol is an ingredient you should always avoid unless it comes in the form of cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. Alcohol dehydrates skin and is also known to cause irritation. That is why if you do find yourself buying a product that contains this ingredient, make sure that it isn't among the 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 you should keep an eye out for are ureas. Both imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea can cause inflammation, but are widely used in skin products because they are inexpensive.

Most synthetic colors and fragrances are also known as coal-tars that can lead to cancer. Synthetic fragrances can alter hormonal production. Always look for products that are fragrance free and not unscented as unscented products use other components to mask the smell of the product's ingredients.

Ingredients you DO want in Your Skin Care Cream

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 is infamous for treating dry skin and scar tissue. 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.

Another wondrous natural oil is rose hip seed oil. It 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 natural ingredient that, oftentimes, appears listed as glycyrrhizin on the product labels. If it concerns you to use this, or any other natural product on your skin, you should do a patch test before trying it on your face.