Organic skin care has a healthy ring to it, but the real meaning of organic products doesn't necessarily coincide with what consumers might expect. In relation to skin care, the word organic refers to products that do not contain artificial ingredients, petroleum-based ingredients or other unsafe ingredients.

Nevertheless, some ingredients that we may not consider natural or safe enough for our skin may still be considered within the guidelines of what is or isn't natural for skin care products. For example, petroleum is considered a natural ingredient added to several natural skin care products, however, I can't think of many people that would knowingly want to put it on their skin. So the best way of protecting your skin from ingredients you don't want, is by learning how to spot them on the product labels.

Stay Away From These Ingredients

Anti aging and organic skin care products are supposed to help keep the skin young and healthy. However, certain ingredients in these products can actually speed up the aging process and lead to dull skin and wrinkles.

Avoid Petrochemicals

This group of ingredients is derived from crude oil and can coat your skin making it impossible for your body to eliminate toxins. This obstruction can lead to dull skin, and cause allergies and clogged pores.

Don't use anti aging creams that contain mineral oil, paraffin and petrolatum. This is especially important if you have oily or combination skin.

Do Not Use Products Containing Quaternary Ammonium Compounds

These components are used in conditioning products. However, they have been linked with antibiotic resistance. Stay away from products that contain benzalkonium chloride, cetrimonium chloride and cetrimonium bromide, among others.

Caution: Synthetic Colors

Most synthetic colors are made from coal tar and heavy metal salts. They can quickly lead to eye wrinkles and dull skin because they produce free radicals, which is why you should avoid products that contain FD&C or D&C.

Sulfates Are Not Your Friend

These components are usually used to make soaps, detergents and cleansers. They are listed under the following names: sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate. Sulfates dry out the skin and cause rashes, and in some cases have been known to cause ocular problems.

Avoid Certain Alcohols

Anti wrinkle creams should not contain alcohol because it dehydrates the skin and can lead to wrinkles. Alcohol can also lead to irritation and rashes, but this isn't true for all types of alcohol. In fact stearyl and cetearyl alchol are both acceptable ingredients in any wrinkle treatment cream.

All you need to do is invest a little time and research to find the ingredients that you should avoid. In fact, it doesn't feel like such an effort when you're looking for the best wrinkle creams out there.