Different anti wrinkle serums contain different ingredients, some good, some bad. First we’ll look at the helpful ingredients contained in the best anti wrinkle serums, and then we’ll examine the less-helpful (and possibly even harmful) ingredients contained in the worst of them.

A quality anti wrinkle serum may contain any of the following: collagen, vitamin E, elastin, seaweed and shea butter. Collagen is an ingredient the skin naturally produces to help it remain elastic and smooth. But as we get older, our skin produces less of it, and so we may need to supplement that depleting collagen in order to retain those same features. Vitamin E is vital to skin health, serving a number of different functions, including preventing the damage of skin cell tissue. It’s also an antioxidant that fights off free radicals. Elastin is similar to collagen in that the body naturally produces it, though that production declines with age, and that it promotes suppleness of the skin, leading to dryness, wrinkles and sagging when it’s depleted. Seaweed helps hydrate the skin and reduces inflammation that causes redness and puffiness. Shea butter is also a powerful moisturizer, helping hydrate the skin and protecting it from damage by the elements.

A lower quality anti wrinkle serum may contain alcohols, fragrances, parabens and petroleum-based oils. Alcohols, like methanol, ethanol and isopropyl alcohol, dry out the skin, plain and simple. The only benefit of fragrances in anti wrinkle serums is that they smell nice. But these fragrances help the skin none, and could even cause irritation or allergic reactions. Petroleum based oils like petrolatum, and often listed on the label as mineral oils, could be contaminated by any number of harmful chemicals during the refining process that could then get transferred to your skin and absorb into your body. Parabens are a downright harmful ingredient associated in scientific studies with breast cancer. They are a preservative that you can well do without by purchasing only what you will use in a timely fashion, and using it on a consistent basis.