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A number of peptides, including copper peptides, have shown promise at reducing signs of aging through the promotion of collagen and elastin growth. As with any "active" ingredients, however, they must be present at sufficient levels.

Do the due diligence on your skin care products. If the product label doesn't indicate how much of the "active ingredient" e.g. AHA, peptide, enzyme or anti-oxidant is in the product, it is difficult to be sure there are sufficient quantities to provide any benefit. Look at the ingredient list on the label. FDA regulations mandate that ingredients be listed in order of their presence in the product, highest concentration to lowest concentration. An ingredient towards the bottom of the list will likely be present in very small quantities and may be not be effective. If a company touts any clinical data, go online and look it up. It should be a double-blind, vehicle controlled study that, ideally has been conducted by an independent third party and published in a peer-reviewed medical journal.

Co-Enzyme Q10 (Ubiquinone) is a natural substance made inside of our bodies that gets depleted as we age. Increasing levels of Co-Enzyme Q10 in the skin, like anti-oxidants, can help prevent future signs of aging. Some data also suggests that it may help promote growth of collagen and elastin.

Anti-oxidants are substances that help reduce free radicals and cell degradation in the body. If included in a product at appropriate levels, these can be helpful in maintaining a more youthful appearance over time. They typically offer protection from future aging and skin damage. In other words, if you use an anti-oxidant product daily, in ten years you should look younger than you would look had you not used the product. Most anti-oxidants do not promote levels of collagen or elastin growth. Vitamin C is one notable exception. Also known as Ascorbic Acid, Vitamin C is an anti-oxidant that has also been proven to provide cellular stimulation similar to AHAs and Retinoids. To be effective, however, Ascorbic Acid must be present in sufficient quantities and should be formulated at a pH of 2.5 or below.

The pH level of a product measures its acidity or alkalinity. Substances with low pH levels are acidic while higher pH levels correspond to alkaline (or basic) products. The pH of the skin is approximately 4.5. For skin care products to adequately penetrate the skin and be effective the pH level must be sufficiently below 4.5 to allow penetration. The lower the pH, the more penetration. For example a 10% AHA product with a pH of 3.5 would deliver roughly 75% more free acid (effective acid) than the same product at a pH of 4.0. The lower the pH level, however, the more irritating a product can be. Skin care companies often raise their pH levels in an effort to minimize irritation. Unfortunately, by doing this, they also minimize the efficacy of their product. Due to our patented anti-irritant, COSMEDERM-7, we are able to deliver high concentrations of AHAs at very low pH levels for maximum anti-aging results.

Retinoids are a class of compounds chemically related to Vitamin A. Retinol is the most common. The efficacy of Retinoids for anti-aging has been supported in the medical literature and, like AHAs, have been proven to promote collagen and elastin growth to make your skin look younger. Many Retinoids, however, are easily oxidized and, as a result, can lose efficacy. Anti-aging products containing Retinoids that have been packaged incorrectly may be providing little to no benefit to your skin. In addition, as with any "active" ingredient, Retinoids must be present in sufficient quantities to provide a noticeable effect. Skin care companies can market a product as a retinol product even if only trace levels are used. The retinol content should be 0.5% or higher to achieve medical strength results. Retinoids can be used in combination with AHAs subject to a consumer's tolerability.