What can we find in nature that may supply us with an additional reservoir of collagen, helping us avoid the topical cream? Most forms of vitamin A that are quickly assimilated by our bodies come from the animal kingdom. These are the above mentioned retinoids. Provitamins instead, which are precursors and must be converted into a form that our bodies can assimilate, are found in the realm of fruits and vegetables. Specially those of orange, dark green and yellow pigmentations. These colors indicate the presence of carotenoids.

Problem is that the ratio of conversion of beta-carotene to vitamin A inside our bodies is pretty low, thus a normal human being is required to eat vast quantities of these fruits and vegetables in order to produce sufficient vitamin A. Because the body converts carotene into vitamin A as needed, the risk of intoxication is minimal. The animal form instead, can produce too much of it to levels that are considered harmful, even lethal. According to wikipedia “… if eaten in one meal, 30 to 90 grams of polar bear liver is enough to kill a human being, or to make even sled dogs very ill…”

So what is the take-away today? You need vitamin A to function properly. In measured quantities, the foods that can provide it are: liver (chicken, pork, turkey, beef and fish), eggs, cheese, milk, cod liver oil and butter/margarine. Given the slow intake and rate of conversion from fruits and vegetables you must rely on these foods preferably.

And for a more laser-focused approach you can test some of the more common topical creams, under supervision of a doctor. Some recent studies have shown that compounds made out of vitamin A have consistently estimulated the production of collagen in a much higher degree than regular creams. One such cream can be Neutrogena’s Ageless Intensives Deep Wrinkle Eye Cream. According to Dr. Irwin (Surgery Free Makeover) it is best to take a gradual approach, applying the cream every couple of days only and during nights, as the Sun can make vitamin A unstable.

Oops… I know, you came here for a miracle cure. I am sorry, but I think that the fastest that you come to terms with your age the easier it will be to handle the situation. See, you can still work wonders on your face, improve the tone of your skin and overall obtain a much younger facial expression whether through facial excercises or specialty creams -yes, there is light at the end of the tunnel- that can work out some improvement.

But there is a reason for the heads up. In a coming issue by Consumerreports.org, the team at work tested 16 over-the-counter wrinkle creams both from the US and Europe to find a mix bag of results. The creams that proved to work resulted in a noticeable improvement of the skin around the eyes, however, even in the best cases women weren’t able to take years away from their shoulders. The controversy stems from the fact that highly priced creams worked evenly to the controlled cream -a moisturizer with no anti-wrinkle claims- used by CR as their benchmark. In the cases of the creams that showed good results this was based on “reduced wrinkle length or depth”.

A few quick conclusions:

* Changes were minor even among the best-performing products.
* Wrinkle reduction around the eyes was generally pretty subtle.
* After six weeks of daily use, none came close to eliminating wrinkles.
* Pricing made no difference whatsoever and drugstore brands performed equally to premium brands.

So when all is said and done… keep drinking lots and lots of water!