There's no denying it, we're all headed to a life with more wrinkles and less mobility, that's right, old age. However, this doesn't mean that we should have to live a life that is less vital or feel less attractive in the process, that's why skin care companies now cater to an older generation of skin care needs.

Skin care creams for maturing skin should be gentle. 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.

For instance, the skin care industry believes that petroleum based ingredients are natural substances. This may or may not be true, but who is really willing to treat their delicate aging skin with petroleum? Let's take a look at other ingredients that you may want to avoid in your skin and 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 ingredient that should be banned from natural skin creams. Although parabens serve an important purpose in the make-up of some creams, they have also been known to produce irritation and even cancer.

Other carcinogenic products you may want to avoid are acryl amide, polyethylene glycol, and dioxine. You should also try and avoid products made with synthetic colors and fragrances because, not only are some considered to be carcinogenic, but most are known to alter hormone levels.

Phenol carbolic acid is a very common ingredient found in most skin care products. It is an antiseptic and disinfectant. However, continual use can lead to irritation or dermatitis.

Stearalkonium chloride is used in creams for its conditioning properties. This ingredient may cause skin and eye irritation so if a product you have purchased contains this ingredient you should avoid using it for prolonged periods of time.

Vital Ingredients found in Face Creams

There are a couple of key ingredients that are very beneficial to have in your skin care product. If at all possible, you should prefer products that contain these ingredients over products that don't, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Rose hip seed oil is one of the best natural moisturizers around. It has been used for centuries to treat dry skin, eczema, scar tissue and even stretch marks.

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.