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The aging process will take its toll on our whole body and our skin is generally the first place we notice this change. 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 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 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 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

Alcohol is an ingredient you should always avoid unless it comes in the form of 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 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.

Another ingredient to avoid are ureas. Both imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea are inexpensive and used in several skin care products, however, they can cause inflammation in some people.

Synthetic colors and fragrances are usually 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 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 is infamous 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.

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 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.