• Sunbaking regularly may add 20 years to your face, stress may add three years, big-city living five years and crash dieting 10 years.
• The way your mother has aged is a good indication of how you'll look in 30 years.
• Standing up straight and smiling can make you look 10 years younger.
• The condition of your teeth can add or deduct years. Ask your dentist about teeth whitening and other cosmetic aids.
• Crash dieting deprives the skin of nutrients, and losing weight too rapidly makes skin sag.
• The skin's rate of cell renewal (a function essential for fresh, young-looking skin) is at its highest when we sleep.
• Fish is the best food to help keep you looking young, due to its high content of essential fatty acids.
• Smokers are five times more likely to be heavily wrinkled than non-smokers.

Fifteen years ago the most a cream could offer was to lock in extra moisture. Then the advent of alpha-hydroxy acids heralded the introduction of cosmeceuticals, skin-care that could smooth wrinkles and promote the skin's elasticity. Today, scientists continue to discover better ways to fight the signs of age, with products that make a real difference.

Botox in a jar
If the thought of having a needle in your face sends you into a frenzy, then why not try one of the new types of cream that claim to have a similar effect to botox, the cosmetic injection that targets expression-induced wrinkles, such as frown lines and crows' feet, without the pain or fear. "The effects of the cream are reversible," explains Irma Santucci, Director of Research and Development for Skin Doctors Dermaceuticals, the first cosmetic company in Australia to release a botox-mimicking cream. "The process is not permanent, and you need to apply the product for 30 days to see good results."

"Wholistic" creams
A new trend is skin-care that tricks the skin into working better all by itself. Instead of fixing the 'symptom', this wholistic-style approach aims for the root of the problem.

Natural wonders
Many anti-ageing wonder ingredients come directly from nature, and are now more concentrated, and thus more powerful.

Vitamin power
Vitamins A and C still play an important role in anti-ageing formulations for their ability to repair and prevent formation of fine lines and wrinkles, plus even out skin tone.

Internal skin care
It makes very good sense to nourish your skin from within, and internal skin-care supplements are now a rapidly growing area of the anti-ageing market.

Age-busting agents

• Apple extract: Gentle fruit-acid exfoliator.
• Argireline: Amino acid, relaxes muscles to alleviate the look of wrinkles.
• Boswelox: A muscle-relaxing extract from the boswellia tree.
• Centella asiatica: Plant extract that stimulates the biosynthesis of collagen.
• Green tea: Strong anti-oxidant, scavenges skin-damaging free radicals.
• Grape seed: Powerful anti-oxidant (20 times more potent than vitamin C).
• Fish or marine extracts: Very good moisturiser, source of protein.
• Hyaluronic acid (or sodium hyaluronate) : Very powerful hydrating properties.
• Licorice: Soothing, helps reduce uneven pigmentation.
• Lycopene: Powerful anti-oxidant (10 times more potent than vitamin E).
• Olive leaf: Potent anti-oxidant.
• Vitamin A: Also known as retinol or retinyl palmitate, essential for cell renewal.
• Vitamin C: As ascorbic acid it helps stimulate synthesis of collagen.
• Vitamin E: A powerful anti-oxidant and an excellent moisturiser. It works effectively in synergy with vitamins A and C.

This article is from ninemsn Health