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 choice for mature skin is the use of natural skin care products, however, you should be very careful when choosing a natural skin cream because some products contain ingredients that aren't always considered gentle or soothing.

Ingredients such as petrolatum and propylene glycol are by-products of petroleum and are, therefore, considered 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.

Ingredients that should not be found in 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 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 ingredient that should not be present in natural skin creams. Although they serve an important purpose such as suppressing microbial formation in creams, parabens have been linked to irritation and cancer.

Ureas are also an ingredient to watch out for. Both imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea can cause inflammation. They 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 have been known to alter hormonal production. So when looking for a product make sure that you always look for products that are fragrance free and not products that are unscented. Fragrance-free products are preferable because those that are unscented use other components to mask the smell of the product's ingredients.

Ingredients you DO want in Your Skin Care Cream

There are also some ingredients that you should look for in your skin care products. Not all products contain them, but try to use those that do, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Rose hip oil has been known to help treat dry skin and scar tissues. It is a very gentle ingredient that can be used in its oil form or in skin care products, and what's best is that it has a low viscosity, which allows it to absorb quickly into the skin.

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 another natural ingredient that is very soothing on sensitive skin. It may appear listed as glycyrrhizin on the product labels so look closely before purchasing. If you are worried that this ingredient may cause irritation or produce allergic reactions, then you should do a patch test before trying it on your face.