The aging process will take its toll on our whole body and our skin is generally the first place we notice this change. As a matter of fact, the aging process not only increases the appearance of wrinkles and ages spots, but it also makes our skin more fragile and brittle.

This is why, when treating mature skin, you should use gentle skin care creams. 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. Nevertheless, they can be irritating to mature skin. Here is a list of products that you should avoid if you want to use the most natural products.

Ingredients that Shouldn't be Contained in Face Creams

One of the ingredients you should try 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. Although parabens serve an important purpose in the make-up of some creams, they have also been known to produce irritation and even cancer.

Another ingredient you should keep an eye out for are ureas. Both imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea can cause inflammation. They are widely used in skin products because they are inexpensive.

Synthetic colors and unnatural fragrances are usually 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.

The Good Ingredients: Look for them 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 very well known for treating dry skin and scar tissue. 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.

Rose hip seed oil helps soothe irritated skin and helps moisturize dry skin. In fact, it 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 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.