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 doesn't just increase the appearance of wrinkles and ages spots, it also makes our skin thinner and more brittle.

This is why skin care creams for maturing skin should be gentle. A good option for mature skin is natural skin care products. However, it may difficult to choose the right, natural skin cream because some products contain ingredients that we would not consider gentle or soothing.

Ingredients like propylene glycol and petrolatum are considered natural because they are by-products of petroleum. However, they can irritate older skin. Here is a list of products that you should avoid if you want to use the most natural products.

Avoid the Following Ingredients especially in Face Creams

The most important ingredient to avoid is alcohol in all of its forms except cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol. Alcohol is known to dehydrate your skin and cause irritation so if you do purchase a product that contains this ingredient, make sure that it does not appear among the first 5 ingredients.

Parabens are another ingredient that should be banned from 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 are inexpensive and used in several skin care products, however, they can cause inflammation in some people.

Most synthetic colors and fragrances are also known as coal-tars that can lead to cancer. Synthetic fragrances can also alter hormonal production which means you should always look for products that are fragrance-free and not unscented. Don't be fooled by products saying that they are unscented because this only means that they have used other components to mask the smell of the product's ingredients.

Must-Have Skin Care Ingredients

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 oil is very well known for treating dry skin and scar tissue. It is a very gentle ingredient that can be used directly in its oil form or in skin care products. It has a low viscosity, which allows it to absorb quickly.

Rose hip seed oil is another natural oil that 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 a very soothing ingredient. It may appear as glycyrrhizin on the product labels. 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.