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.

When you are looking for skin care creams for aging skin, make sure that they are gentle. 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.

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 a few other ingredients that you may want to avoid when in search of gentle 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 be banned from natural skin creams. Even though they serve an important purpose by suppressing microbial formation in creams, parabens have been linked to irritation. They have also been linked to more severe problems such as 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 that can lead to irritation and dermatitis if used continually.

Stearalkonium chloride is used in creams for its conditioning properties. This ingredient is known to cause skin and eye irritation. It is not advisable to use it for prolonged periods of time.

Look for these Ingredients in Your 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 not only one of the best natural moisturizers around, but it has a long history of helping 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.