Aging skincare should be extra gentle. When rating skincare products, I look at the ingredients, as well as the logic behind their use. There are many compounds out there that I would avoid completely. Some of them are recommended by other experts, but to me, they are illogical.

Your skin becomes more delicate with age and damage is more likely to become permanent. Exfoliating, chemical peels and acidic toners should be avoided for aging skincare. I don't even recommend them for youngsters.

With regular use, they increase sensitivity to sunlight and UV damage. They cause redness and inflammation. They damage the outermost layer, the epidermis, and in older people the damage can become permanent.

When rating skincare products, some experts will only recommend cosmetics that contain a sunscreen compound. I'm on the other side of this debate, as well.

We need to protect ourselves from sunburns and UV damage, but we also need vitamin D. There are an increasing number of elderly people with vitamin D deficiencies. One reason that has been sited is the prevalent use of sunscreens on a daily basis.

So, when I am rating skincare products highly, they don't have an SPF rating. They may contain natural ingredients that provide some protection from UV damage, but that's it. You need to be logical when you are exposed to the sun. If you rely too heavily on a sunscreen, you'll spend too much time unprotected outdoors.

For effective anti aging skincare, you need nutrients. That's right, the same things that you take every morning to insure that you are meeting your daily nutritional requirements. But, these nutrients most be applied directly.

I enjoy rating skincare products that contain things like wakame kelp. This edible seaweed is actually a type of algae. We have learned over the years that algae and seaweed extracts are highly beneficial in skin care creams and lotions. Wakame is likely the MOST beneficial of all varieties.

Alone, it contains practically every vitamin and mineral needed to maintain the skin's moisture levels. It also contains an element that protects the natural protein levels, as well. Anti aging skincare should focus on maintaining protein levels, as they naturally decline with age.

The highest rated creams, in my book, contain wakame and a variety of other safe and natural ingredients, including grape seed oil, Functional Keratin, coenzyme Q10, vitamin E, passion fruit extract and palm oil.

Grape seed oil is particularly beneficial for repairing damage to skin around the eyes. It has a filming ability that is unique among vegetable oils. This film helps to lock moisture in.

When I'm rating skincare products, I only look at the ones that are free of artificial preservatives. Ingredients like vitamin E and grape seed oil effectively preserve the other natural oils and extracts, preventing them from becoming rancid and extending their shelf life.

Each of the ingredients mentioned above provides unique benefits for aging skincare. I just can't cover them all here. As long as you look for safe and natural compounds, you'll be in the ballpark.