The aging process will eventually take its toll on our bodies and it's on our skin that we first notice any real changes. 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 should not be found 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 be banned from natural skin creams. Although parabens serve an important purpose in the make-up of some creams, they have also been known to produce irritation and even cancer.

Ureas are also an ingredient to watch out for. Both imidazolidinyl and diazolidinyl urea can cause inflammation. They are widely used in skin products because they are inexpensive.

Synthetic colors and unnatural fragrances are usually known as coal-tars that can lead to cancer. Synthetic fragrances have been known to alter hormonal production. So when looking for a product make sure that you always look for products that are fragrance free and not products that are unscented. Fragrance-free products are preferable because those that are unscented use other components to mask the smell of the product's ingredients.

The Good Ingredients: Look for them in Your Skin Care Cream

There are a couple of key ingredients that are very beneficial to have in your skin care product. If at all possible, you should prefer products that contain these ingredients over products that don't, especially if you have sensitive skin.

Rose hip oil is infamous for treating dry skin and scar tissue. It has a low viscosity, which allows it to absorb quickly into the skin. This makes it possible to apply this ingredient in its oil form or in skin care products.

Rose hip seed oil helps soothe irritated skin and helps moisturize dry skin. In fact, it is a great addition to any skin cream for aging skin.

Licorice root extract is another natural ingredient that is very soothing on sensitive skin. It may appear listed as glycyrrhizin on the product labels so look closely before purchasing. If it concerns you to use this, or any other natural product on your skin, you should do a patch test before trying it on your face.